Kindred Spirits
by captndevil
Summary: Emma Swan hates Killian Jones - he's arrogant and self centered but she's stuck with him for the foreseeable future with them running in the same circles. What happens when she agrees to go camping with her friends, Killian included, and what will happen when she has to get in a car with him, alone? Modern AU.
1. Surprise!

**"We're on a roadtrip with some friends and we have to share a hotel room and there's only one bed and a whole lot of sexual tension."**

 **A new modern AU that got waaay too long so I'm sorry. Possibly a two or three parter again because I can't write one shots for hell. Regardless, I hope you enjoy. Will include some smut at some point, too.**

 **\- shauna!xo**

* * *

They were all overjoyed when they got into the same college, screams and hugs had been exchanged as they'd celebrated. But today Emma isn't quite so sure if it was a good thing.

"Come on, Ems," Ruby pleads with her, brown, wide eyes staring up at her with false innocence. "It'll be fun, I promise."

Emma snorts in reply. "Yeah, that's what you said the last time."

Ruby's red lips form into a pout at her response, clearly determined on getting her friend to agree.

"Please, Ems," she pleads again, smiling brightly as she runs a hand through her thick locks. "It'll be better than last time."

She throws Ruby an incredulous glance just as Mary Margaret comes waltzing into the room, a happy smile tugging at the corner of her lips and leaving Emma with no doubt or where she just was. Or rather who she was with. It was common knowledge now that she was very happily settled down with her own prince charming, David Nolan.

"What'll be better than last time?" Mary Margaret questions as she comes to a graceful stop next to Ruby.

"This weekend," Ruby informs her, briefly glancing at her other friend before her determined eyes find Emma's once more.

Mary Margaret laughs lightly in response. "So, you finally told her?"

Emma narrows her eyes towards the other brunette.

"You knew?" she demands, tone incredulous as she crosses her arms over her chest with a huff, boot tapping against the floor in a repititive, irritating manner.

An eye roll is the response she gets. "Of course I knew, Emma. It was David's idea."

Emma huffs. "Traitor, what happened to chicks before dicks?"

A sweet smile overtakes Mary Margaret's face, leaving Emma no doubt once again that her thoughts have been overtaken by a certain Nolan. "Well, this one isn't a dick so it doesn't count."

Now, she's the one rolling her eyes. All of her friends were lovesick idiots.

Ruby's quick to cut the bickering short as she places her hands on Emma's shoulders, her manicured nails tapping against her clothed skin and turns Emma towards her.

"Does that mean you agree to come?" Ruby looks so hopeful, biting her bottom lip, that Emma wants to laugh.

"Nope," she pops her lips, collapsing against the sofa at her back and crossing her right leg over her left one.

She hears a mutual groan of protest as she twirls a lock of blonde hair around her pale finger, humming quietly under her breath. However, her head snaps up when she feels weight settle at both sides of her on the black, leather sofa.

"Emma," Mary Margaret begins slowly, her green eyes focused on her face.

Her eyebrows raise in suspicion, lips pressed tightly together as she feels Ruby shuffle closer to her.

"Yes?"

"We really want to go camping this weekend," Ruby tells her just as slowly, as though she's prey they're afraid of scaring off.

"And it's Halloween," Mary Margaret buts in, babbling excitedly. "We always celebrate Halloween together."

Emma sighs. "Exactly, going to a party. Forgive me, but camping is not my idea of a party."

"But we can have a bonfire," Mary Margaret continues to rant, ticking the activities off her fingers. "And we can have sparklers and we can have s'mores. Do you know I've never had a s'more?"

"A tragedy," Emma bites out sarcastically.

"It really is," she nods.

"Please, Emma," Ruby's voice vibrates through her ear, the girl bouncing excitedly. "You might even surprise yourself and enjoy it."

Emma scrunches her nose up as she glares at the brunette. "Doubtful."

Ruby and Mary Margaret's lips part at the same time, no doubt to insert another reason for Emma to agree to their stupid camping trip but she merely rolls her eyes and speaks before the two of them can. "But I'll go. Just because I love you both."

Mary Margaret's eyes light up at her, the green in them sparkling brightly as Ruby grins along with her.

"Really?" Ruby questions.

She laughs, nodding.

"Promise?" Mary Margaret asks in a small voice.

Her forehead crinkles but she smiles, holding her pinky up for her friends to hook their fingers around. "Pinky promise."

The next thing she knows, Emma's being tackled to the floor by the two of them in a bear hug, her back hitting the floor with a thud.

"Ouch," she mutters.

"Shut up complaining," Ruby tells her (or orders, she's not quite sure), "And let me hug you."

"Stop hoddling her," Mary Margaret huffs at Ruby. "I want a hug too."

Emma rolls her eyes once more. "Neither of you will get a hug soon because you'll suffocate the life out of me."

"Stop complaining," they both admonish her at the same time and she finds herself laid on the floor with them, tangled up within each other.

Soon enough, the three of them are giggling amongst each other and what they find so amusing, not one of them knows but there's bright smiles plastered on both of their faces so Emma guesses that the sacrifice (and it is a sacrifice, she cannot put into words how much she hates camping and nature and ugh-) is worth it.

As their giggles finally die down and they're walking out of their room to the local bar for a few drinks, Ruby gasps. "Oh, I forgot to tell you," she exclaims in a voice that Emma knows is false shock (she did grow up with the girl after all).

Emma offers a small smile and praying to god that it isn't bad.

"And what is that?"

"Killian's coming," she tells her before skipping off and looping her arm around Mary Margaret's as they stroll to the bar.

Emma immediately halts, color draining from her face as she grits her teeth. "Excuse me?"

The two of them twirl around with their eyes wide and matching smirks and Emma wants to punch the both of them. It must be clear on her face because Ruby shoots her a glare before sighing tiredly.

"We knew you wouldn't agree to come if you knew, Ems, and really, we agreed not to tell you until-" Mary Margaret began before being cut off.

"No," Ruby glares. "You said not to tell her, I agreed no such thing. You should realise that surprising her was going to blow up in her faces."

Emma raises an eyebrow though the anger is still plastered on her face, cheeks turning red as her hard eyes stare the two of them down.

"At least one of you is honest," she mutters.

"Oh, I wanted to tell you and then kidnap you if necessary," Ruby tells her bluntly before skipping off to the bar.

"Rude," Emma mumbles.

"Just being truthful, Ems," she retorts. "I know how much you value honesty."

She glares at Ruby's retreating back.

"And don't even think of getting out of this now, Emma," Ruby twirls around momentarily with her eyes narrowed and a long, sharp finger is suddenly pointed towards Emma. "You already promised."

"On false pretenses," she argues heatedly.

"Still a promise," Mary Margaret cuts in quietly.

"Fine," she hisses, storming ahead of the two of them. "But don't think I'm happy about this."

"God forbid," Ruby mutters from somewhere behind her but she doesn't really care.

Yeah, their happiness isn't really worth Killian Jones. She'd rather murder the two of them (and him, of course) instead.

-/-

When they get around to travelling the following weekend is when everything starts going downhill. The three of them are walking to David's when Emma recognizes her friend's strange behaviour (even for Ruby).

"Ems," Ruby greets casually but its the cautious note in her voice that causes Emma to twirl around, her eyes already narrowed into slits at the brunette.

Mary Margaret has a tight smile etched onto her features as she comes to a graceful stop and its only that Emma realises she's stopped still.

"Out with it," she demands.

"Well," Mary Margaret drawls out, clearly stalling, and effectively gaining Emma's attention as her green eyes focus on her pixie-like face. "There's been a um slight change in circumstances," she stutters out.

"Is that right?" she murmurs harshly, eyes hard as her lips press into a thin line.

"It's nothing too horrible," Ruby tells her. "Just a minor detail in changing our plans," she rushes to reassure Emma.

"Mm," she mutters, unconvinced. "And what change would that be?"

Ruby stares at her with wide eyes like a deer caught in headlights before coughing slightly and biting her lip nervously (it was her main tell, one that Emma never forgot).

"Well," she begins. "You see, it was his idea really-" and the three of them are under no illusions to which he she's referring to "-and we figured it was about time that the two of burnt the hatchet, so to speak."

"Ruby," Emma drawls her name out, pronouncing each character carefully. "What did you do?"

"It's not what I did," her voice raises an octave now, almost taking on an hysterical notch. "More like what we all did together."

Realising that she's not going to get anywhere with Ruby's vague comments, she huffs and turns to Mary Margaret.

"And what is that you collectively did, hm?" she asks.

Mary Margaret's tongue pokes out to lick against her bottom lip (which conveniently happened to be her nervous tick) as she opens and closes her mouth several times before her lips set into a firm line.

"Youwillberidingwithkillian," she breaths out in a rush that Emma struggles to understand.

Her eyebrows furrow. "Excuse me?"

Mary Margaret sighs, her hand coming up to comb through her wild, dark locks.

"You'll be getting a ride with Killian," she tells her slowly.

Emma can't help it, all of a sudden she's bursting into a fit of laughter, the sound bubbling from her lips as her head tips backwards. It's a while before she can get herself under control but when she does Mary Margaret's lips are pressed tightly together and Ruby has a wicked smirk on her face-

"No," she gasps.

"And there it is," Ruby mutters quietly.

Where laughter was bubbling previously, there's now an angry glare gracing her features.

"No," she repeats angrily. "You can't do this to me."

Whilst Mary Margaret tries smiling it off with a nervous giggle, Ruby merely rolls her eyes.

"You're so dramatic," she mumbles.

Emma's eyes widen considerably. "I'm the dramatic one. _Seriously_?"

"Yes," Ruby huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now," she tells her, placing her hands carefully on Emma's shoulders. "Not to, you know, spook the beast or anything-"

"But they'll be here in a minute," Mary Margaret cuts in, finishing with a small smile on her petite face.

Emma glares once again, hand propped up against her hip, but glances around at her surroundings and when did they get to David's house?

"Soo," Ruby drawls out. "I'd get the anger out before you're stuck in a car with Killian for five hours."

Mary Margaret grits her teeth at the careless words, eyes darting to Ruby and then Emma again purposefully.

"Woops. Was I not suppose to say anything?" Ruby asks, lips forming into a pout. "My bad."

"Five hours?" Emma's yell booms across the street.

"Like I said," Mary Margaret says slowly, "there was a slight change of plans."

Emma opens her mouth, not sure on what she's about to say (yell probably) when she's interrupted.

"Look," Ruby's eyes light up with mischief. "They're here."

A glare is the only response she gets as Mary Margaret bounces forward to greet her boyfriend.

Just _great_.

"Swan."

Emma groans out loud as Killian steps out of the car, swagger in his step.

"Jones," she greets back, albeit begrudgingly.

A grin is edging up at the corner's of his lips as his eyes trail over her form with no sign of rushing, his tongue coming out to swipe against his bottom lip in contemplation before his eyes are sparkling up at her in mischief. She huffed in response, arms crossing over her chest as she rolled her eyes.

"My eyes are up here you know?" her arms waved dramatically as she spoke, eyes forming into slits as she scowled heatedly down at him, forehead wrinkling.

"But you have such lovely assets," he remarked and she didn't know why she was so surprised that an innuendo was the first thing to fall from his lips.

Pointedly ignoring him, she flashed around to where Ruby and Mary Margaret were waiting with Victor and David. It was that point when something occured to her. Both of them had boyfriends whom they were going camping with and it was the plan for the five of them to go but all of a sudden Killian wanted to come. She had a feeling that Mary Margaret had more than an inkling in this-

"So," Ruby announces loudly, "let's get going, hm?"

She glares a hole into the floor as she hears the shuffling off feet, followed by the slamming of doors and a motor revving before the screetch of tires, the four of them speeding away.

Killian coughs, clearly his throat, and when she looks up his hand is raised to scratch that same spot behind his ear.

"Are you ready?" he asks, giving her a cheeky, dimpled smile as he waves towards the black car.

"Might as well get this over with," she mutters, storming past him.

However, Killian is there before her, holding the door open ready with that stupid grin on his face again. She debates arguing but decides against it, realising that they'd never get anywhere if she started yelling at him. Instead, she sighs heavily and moves to slide into the car, trying her best not to press against him. He clearly gets what she means to do, chuckling under his breath at her theatrics.

"Afraid you can't resist my body, love?" he asks and can almost see the innuendo ready to drop off his tongue.

She rolls her eyes, scoffing. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Wouldn't dream of it," his left dimple protrudes as he smirks crookedly.

Emma suddenly finds herself trapped between the open car door and Killian's body pressing against her tightly. She gasps as his hand moves down her side, tracing her hip as his eyes trail over her heaving chest before they focus back on her green emeralds once more.

"Make sure you buckle up," he breaths against her as he leans towards her and with one last cheeky grin, he's detaching himself once more and walking around to the driver's seat, leaving Emma wandering what the hell just happened.

It takes Emma an embarrassingly amount of time to recover from the close proximity but she eventually does, holding onto the door frame tightly, fingernails digging into the polished metal as she slides in (and nope, her legs were not in the least bit wobbly) and purposefully ignoring his quiet chuckle in response.

She only has one thought going through her mind. She is _not_ attracted to Killian Jones. _Not at all._

She hates him, she really needs to remember that. Especially after everything that had happened.

-/-

They'd been driving precisely 10 minutes and 30 seconds when the bickering starts but it was probably (okay it was) inevitable.

"Do we have to listen to this crap?" she grouches, lips pursed as she twists her head to stare at him.

He laughs loudly in response. "Driver's choice," he informs her smugly, that god damn smirk edging up at the corner's of his lips.

Emma huffs, crossing her arms over her chest as she pointedly ignores him, staring straight ahead. Ten minutes later, she's just about resigned to the fact that they'll be listening to Coldplay the entire way there and sighs, shutting her eyes, deciding that she might as well attempt to pass the time by sleeping.

"I was surprised to hear Neal wouldn't be joining us," he comments lowly and when her eyes flash open, she notices that his jaw is clenched and he's gritting his teeth together as though the statement angers him.

Emma, for her part, is extremely confused and not appreciative of the mention of her asshole of an ex boyfriend. "I don't know why he would be."

Killian shoots her a look that is as confused as she feels.

"I would think that he would want to join his girlfriend on a weekend trip," he says slowly, eyes focussing back on the road as his fingers flex around the steering wheel before tightening dangerously.

Suddenly, he makes a little bit more sense.

She snorts in reply, a sarcastic comment spilling from her lips, "I wasn't aware that Tamara was invited." She hears him sigh before looking up, eyes hard as they watch him focus on the road and decides to answer his unanswered question. "Not that it's any of your business," she says slowly, "But we broke up months ago."

As his eyebrows slot together in confusion, his fingers loosen their hold on the wheel and she can see his lips part before he falters, lips thinning out into a tight line.

"Forgive me," he coughs, "But I was under the impression that the two of you were something of an item once again."

"You and everyone else, too," she bites out, jaw clenching at the thought of her ex-boyfriend and his assumptions that getting back together would be that simple (she wasn't that easy or desperate, thank you very much).

Killian continues as if he hadn't heard her speak, "But I saw you, the morning after..." he trails off lightly and she can see him visibly gulp.

Good.

Her eyebrows furrow together, "You were there?"

He nods. "Aye. I was bringing you breakfast-"

"Which is when you saw Neal harassing me" Emma finishes his sentence, eyes on the road once more as her fingers curl up into a fist, fingernails digging into the soft skin of her palm.

Emma hears rather than sees him sigh but relishes in the silence that is left behind. Before she knows it, however, the car is coming to a gradual stop and when she looks up, he's cut the engine off, staring intently at her.

"Emma-" he begins, softly.

"No," she says stubbornly, cutting him off as she flicks her blonde curls over her right shoulder and sheilding herself from his view.

He raises an eyebrow. "No?"

"No," she repeats, tone firm. "I don't want to do this now."

"And why is that, sweetheart?" he questions and though his words are soft, she senses a hint of frustration in his tone.

She groans at his confrontational tone. "We're about to go away for the entire weekend with our friends and I truly don't think I can have this conversation without screaming so no, we're not having this talk right now."

Killian sighs, "Emma, we really should talk about this."

" _This_ is all on you anyway," she tells him rather matter of factly.

She watches as his face falls, blue eyes turning cold as his lips turn downwards slightly. "How in bloody hell is this my fault?

"You didn't even give me chance to explain, you just blocked me out completely. This whole thing could have been avoided!" she exclaims, hands waving enthusiastically.

"You weren't exactly queuing up to talk to me either, love," he reminds her, eyes narrowed and he watches carefully as she blatantly ignores him, body twisting to stare out the windscreen purposefully.

He hates the silence between them now, the awkwardness drifting through the air as he grits his teeth in frustration. Awkwardness had never been an issue for the two of them, even when they were trying to pretend the other didn't exist. They both had a way with insults, of pushing the ones they cared about away.

 _"Kindred spirits," he had told her the day that met at the bar (when Victor and David had introduced him to the girls they were seeing and Emma just coincidentally was there also)._

 _"What?" her eyebrows had furrowed, looking up at him from her glass._

 _He coughed, "We're kindred spirits, you and I."_

 _"What makes you say that?" she actually looked genuinely curious, beautiful green eyes peering up at him._

 _"You're something of an open book," he comments, watching as her forehead crumples. "Even with people, you get this look in your eyes. The one that comes from being alone for too long," he adds, frowning as he sees her face closes off._

 _She seems to pick herself up though, sighing lightly. "Yeah, I guess you're right," but then she shoots him a small smile and he allows himself to give her one in return._

"I'm sorry," he eventually adds, voice burning with something similar to regret and she can feel his eyes on her as she glares at the sun shining through the window. "

"Me too," she murmurs looking out at the scenery.

"I know I may be out of place," he begins tentatively, "But perhaps you can give me a second chance to redeem myself?"

Inwardly, her strength wavers but outwardly, she bites out the next words sarcastically, "Maybe you should thought of that before. Did you really think so little of me?" though her voice turns quiet at the end, the last word coming out at little louder than a whisper.

He falters. "Emma-" He cuts himself off and must decided against what he really wants to say because he suddenly begins speaking again. "You're right, I should have come to you first before making assumptions."

She hates it when he agrees with her. She'd rather have the passionate man who can argue just as heatedly as her. That was the one she could avoid, not this one who seemed determined on a second chance.

Emma refrains from answering him, no matter how badly she wants to, instead muttering out a hum.

"What exactly did happen that morning?"

His question takes her by surprise and it must show on her face as her head snaps upwards because he's shooting her a soft smile, no hint of smugness in his expression.

"What?" she croaks out.

He shrugs, "Neal never treated you all that well in your relationship, so what happened?" She watches as his hand reaches forward to brush against hers and his bright, blue eyes are gazing into hers. "Please, Emma. Tell me what happened. I want to know."

 _"You and Jones seem to be getting close."_

 _She groans out loud at unexpected voice, hand pausing on her door knob and sighing loudly._

 _"Neal," she greets between gritted teeth._

 _He grins, teeth gleaming in the morning light as he nods towards her. "You going somewhere?"_

 _"Yes," she tells him stoically._

 _"Where?" Neal demands, dark eyes watching her every mood._

 _"Out," she grits out._

 _He snorts. "Yeah, I got that."_

 _Emma growls under her breath, tired of the sherade. "Did you want something, Neal?" she asks._

 _His face smooths out into an expression that Emma can't read, lips pressed firmly together as he repeats his earlier statement, "You and Jones are getting close."_

 _She snorts, "Not that it's any of your business, Neal, but no we are not together."_

 _He visibly relaxes and he even shoots her a small smile. "That's good."_

 _"Well, if that's all you came to say then please," she gestures for him to leave with her hands._

 _Neal's eyebrows furrow together in response, eyes darkening as they take her in. He coughs, "I was hoping we'd get back together."_

 _She can't help it, she actually giggles at that and even lets out an not so feminine snort._

 _"You're delusional," she concludes after she realises that he's been serious because no way in hell would they ever be getting back together._

 _His eyes soften, staring up at her in what she perceives as false sadness. "Ems-"_

 _"Nope," she pops her lips, arms crossing over her chest and fidgits on her feet. "You cheated on me, basically called me a whore in about 50 different ways and you are the most controlling dick I've ever met. So not gonna happen, buddy."_

 _A look of shock crosses Neal's face as his mouth parts, gaping at her, and his eyes widen almost comically. Yeah, not that she blames him for being shocked. She was pretty subordinate in their relationship and she was quite sick of it. It was time for her to grow a backbone._

 _She moves to take a step away from him when he rushes forward to grip her arm and a pleading look overtaking his dynamic features, "Please, Ems, you know I love you."_

 _Removing her arm roughly from her grip, she grows annoyed and hisses, "No, I don't, Neal. In fact, I'm fairly certain that you never loved me so forgive me for not giving a crap."_

 _He stumbles backwards as though he's been burnt and honestly, she's sure she sees tears in his eyes but at this point, she's way passed caring for him. So, it's with that thought, that she reaches forward to pat his cheek condescendingly and mutters as, "Goodbye, Neal" before she marched passed him, head held high._

 _Today, was a good day._

She coughs, realising she'd gone silent for a bit there and shrugs, "He was just Neal being Neal."

"So he was being difficult," Killian summarises dryly.

"Nothing I can't handle," Emma mutters.

"I'm quite certain you can handle anything life throws at you," Killian comments, almost casually, as his bright, blue eyes direct back up to hers and she's surprised at the softness she finds there.

Shooting him a small smile, she sighs lightly and considers her options.

"Perhaps," she licks her lips, "We could agree to a truce?"

Killian perks up at her idea, a brilliant smile appearing on his tanned face.

"What did you have in mind?" he asks carefully, which makes her smile as she realises that he'd let her lead.

"To be civil, I guess?" she questions herself hesitantly, "To at least pretend we're capable of being friends."

"We were friends, Emma," he reminds her.

She laughs, though it sounds almost bitter to Killian's ears, "We were never friends, Killian."

Pausing, he licks his lips before replying, making sure his tone sounds soft and as less confrontational as he can manage, "I'm aware that our dalliance lasted little under twenty four hours but I'd like to think we were creating a friendship before that."

Emma shakes her head, "That's not what I meant." She seems to hesitate slightly before the words spill from her lips, "Just that we could never just be friends."

He grins and this time it's more like the confident, cocky Killian Jones she's come to know. His blue eyes are dancing in glee as he bites his bottom lip, hand coming up to brush against his neck to brush that same spot behind his ear that Emma can't help but find it adorable even now.

"Besides," Emma continues, a small, happy grin tugging at the corners of her lips, "I think the rest of them are getting tired of our bickering by now."

He laughs too, a light sound that surprises himself, "Probably. Though, I can't bring myself to care much."

She shakes her head at him, another bubble of laughter escaping her before holding out her hand for him with a raised eyebrow, "So... truce?"

Killian frowns down at her hand but then he's smiling up at her as he entwines their fingers and holding her pale hand up to his lips to brush a soft, lingering kiss there. She tries her best not to shiver (she really does) as he lets out a low chuckle against her skin, the sound vibrating against her. His smile is positively sinful as he brings their joint hands to his lap, clenching hers tightly in his larger hand.

"So," his eyes are practically gleaming as his smirk grows bigger and she just knows there is an innuendo waiting to escape his lips, "Does this mean I have another chance to win you over?"

She snorts and removes her hand from his with a small shake, "Don't push it, Jones. And get going, we need to get there at some point today."

He salutes her mockingly, teasing grin on his lips. "Yes, ma'am.

Emma shakes her head, even as he twists the keys in the ignition, hand already on the gears and mutters, "Idiot."

"Don't pretend you don't love it, Swan," he retorts as they join the road once more.

She presses her lips and tries to keep the smile off her face, threatening to burst.

(She doesn't and soon enough there's a happy grin on his face as he allows her to take control of the radio, complaining about her music tastes as she does so.)

-/-

They had been back on the road for a total of one hour and thirty minutes when Killian signals for the next exit, claiming that his legs needed a stretch.

She rolled her eyes at his whining voice (and he even pouted at her). "God," she snorts, "You act as if you're about three hundred or something."

"Emma," the pout never falters from his lips, "I do not."

The ignition cuts off and he gets out of the car with a groan, arching his back in mid stretch and coincidentally showing her the length of his neck. She watches as he gulps, following the movement very closely with her eyes. Suddenly, his head snaps back down and his blue eyes are back on hers.

"You're right," she coughs, trying to ignore her burning cheeks, as she slams the door shut behind her. "Right now, you're acting like a whining two year old."

She hears his dramatic gasp from behind her as she marches inside the establishment, following closely on her heels.

"You take that back," he orders with playful, narrowed eyes, falling into step beside her and she grins widely, shaking her head.

He grumbles under his breath and she rolls her eyes once more. "Dramatic to the end, Jones."

He opens his mouth, eyes gleaming and she just knows he's about to make some lewd comment. She's quick to stop him, however, stopping still in front of him and twirling around to place her hand over his mouth.

"Don't," she warns with a playful edge to her voice.

He grins, "I have no idea what you're talking about my dear, Swan," he says with false innocence.

Emma bites back the snort wanting to escape and instead mutters, "Sure," as she walks away to the ladies room.

"Meet you back at the car in five," he shouts out to her retreating back and she waves her hand back to him.

When she makes it back to the car, he's leaning against the hood with his one hand on his back pocket and the other concentrating heavily on his phone. She slows down, taking a moment to stare at him - the way his eyebrows are furrowed and the way his eyes have darkened in concentration and how his forehead is crumpled with something akin to worry or concern.

Her own eyebrows furrow. "Killian?" she asks, biting on her bottom lip.

Killian's head snaps up in response, his eyes wide for a moment before he straightens up and bumps his elbow into the side door as he does so, cursing " _Bloody hell_ ," under his breath. She laughs and he huffs, muttering, "It's not funny, Swan."

"Come on then, Jones," she murmurs, "What's got your panties in a twist?"

"Nothing," he mutters back to her but he avoids making eye contact with her and glances down to his phone once more.

She sighs. "We both know you're going to tell me anyway so why don't we just skip time and you tell me what's wrong, hm?"

He doesn't say anything, just fidgets and uncrosses his legs as he keeps his eyes attached to the silver device in his hands.

"Fine," she mutters, "If you don't want to talk to me, we'll just get back in the car-" she walks around to the passenger side and opens the door, also missing Killian's eyes following her "-and get back on the road."

"We can't," he tells her, meeting her eyes pleadingly and she pauses.

"What?"

"Cars broke," he sighs.

"What?" her voice goes up a pitch and the word comes out much louder than she wants it to, smiling apologetically at the family walking past the car.

Killian sighs, shrugging. "I don't know, but we're stuck here for a while."

Emma slams the door shut, collapsing against the side of it and tips her head backwards on a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration because this would only ever happen to her.

"So," she sighs, her eyes fluttering open and turns around to face him, "Have you phoned the local garage?"

He bites his lip, "Well-"

She glares, through with his avoidance. "Out with it, Jones."

"They don't open til morning," he tells her slowly, running a hand through his dark locks.

Emma groans, head dropping to hit the car door with a loud thud, muttering "Great" under her breath.

"There's no need to be antsy," he adds, "There's a hotel not too far from here. Why don't we go see if there's a room available for the night?"

"Everybody's expecting us," she reminds him.

"Well, there's nothing much we can do about it right now, is there?" he questions rhetorically before shaking his head and steps forward, locking the car with the press of a button and holding his hand out for her to take, "We'll call them when we get there."

She steps forward but doesn't take his hand. "Doesn't look like I have much of a choice," she grumbles.

He laughs as he steers her the right way, "Not really, Swan."

"And we are getting two rooms," she insists, shooting him a glare as he chuckles at her.

He snares his arm around her waist as they join the side street, not bothered in the least when she shakes it off.

"Why, of course, love. I'm nothing if not a gentleman," he says with such false innocence that she can't help but laugh at his expression.

"You better be," she grumbles.

"But if you find yourself wanting to join my bed, Swan," he begins, his voice raspy and eyes sparkling down at her in mischief as he breathes her in, lips brushing against her ear, "Don't hesitate to let me know."

She pushes against his chest, humming as he stumbles to the side slightly before striding to keep up with her.

"Don't worry, that won't happen," she calls behind her.

"Just in case," he grins and she jumps as his arm brushes against her, not expecting him to be so close.

She sighs, "You're so full of it."

"I'd rather make you full of - _bloody hell_ , Swan, that was uncalled for," he gasps, looking up at her and cradling his hand to his chest where she'd just elbowed him.

"Not really," she murmurs.

He sniffs dramatically before holding his head up high and marching through the hotel doors with a muttered, "Whatever," behind him.

"And you say you're not a child," she shakes her head.

"I heard that, Swan," his loud voice echoes behind him and she laughs again.

"You were suppose to," she sing songs, marching up to him and stalling as he comes to a stop at the desk.

She glances briefly around the room though she sees no staff in sight.

"Not the way to make it up to me," he tells her though there's a smile edging up on the corners of his lips.

She snorts. "I sincerely apologise, Your Majesty," she inserts as much sarcasm in to the statement as she can.

"That's a start," he says jovially and his eyes have ignited, the blue in them brightening.

"That would be sarcasm," she informs him, a teasing grin on her red lips.

"If that's what you want to call it," he murmurs, breath fanning against her lips as his body twists towards her.

She knows she shouldn't ask, can practically see the innuendo waiting to escape his lips and she's right as a wicked smirk appears on his very red, very kissable lips. "Foreplay," he breaths against her as his eyes dart down to her lips briefly before separating himself from her completely.

Emma is left staring after him with her mouth hanging open as he steps forward to the desk, speaking to the staff member behind it.

"Hello, love," he greets and Emma just knows he's adding the accent on extra thick to get to her and she narrows her eyes at his back.

"How may I be of assistance today?" the young brunette asks and Emma is perfectly aware of how breathless she sounds.

"Well..."

She tunes the rest of Killian's voice out with one thought ringing through his head. _She was seriously going to kill him_.

-/-

"This is ridiculous," she complains loudly. "One bed?"

"It is one room, Swan," Killian reminds her as they step into the room.

It's a small room, consisting of a set of draws, an old tv placed on top with one bed placed in the center of room (which, if you asked Emma, was far too small for two people to share). The walls were painted a dark brown color, rusty with age, and floorboards creaked with every step they took into the room, making Emma wince as the door slammed shut behind them (also, with another high pitched creak). The windows were tainted yellow with dull, grey blinds shutting out the outside world and a white painted door was situated next to the drawers, clearly leading into a bathroom.

"Still," she trailed off.

"I did try to get us more than one room, Swan, as per your request." _Yes, he did, he tried a little too hard for Emma's liking she muses as she thinks back to the pretty brunette._

His eyebrows push together, "What was that?"

 _Crap_ , did she say that out loud?

His eyes are intense and almost confused as he turns around to look at her and she can't help but be fixated, wrapped up in the warmth that leaks from his gaze.

"Nothing," she mutters when he finally releases her from his consuming gaze, staring down at the worn out carpet that suddenly has her full attention.

Killian barely misses a beat before a small smile is tugging at his lips and she suddenly feels a hand tugging at her chin, warm fingers curling around her cheek as her attention is directed upwards. What she finds there surprises her. Instead of smugness, she sees softness, and if she didn't know any better, she'd swore that he looked insecure.

"Are you jealous, Swan?" he asks her just as soft, his voice a gentle hum.

She breaks the eye contact they have going on, scoffing, "Why would I be jealous?"

"I was just wandering that myself," he murmurs and she allows herself one last look at him, in the way he's staring back at her with such awe, before shaking her head and dropping her shoulders.

"I'm going to get in the shower," she tells him with her back turned, barely remembering to pick up her bag. "I'll make sure to save you some hot water."

Killian lets out a non-committed hum but she isn't paying attention and the bathroom door barely shuts behind her before she collapses against it, her back meeting the old wood and she winces at how cold it is.

It was just one night. She could get through one night, _right_?

-/-

When she gets out of the shower, feeling refreshed - or how refreshed you can be in a dingy hotel room - and she walks into their shared room, Killian's back is turned to her and he's got the spare blankets from the drawers, laying them out on the floor and was he going to-

"What are you doing?" the words are out of her lips before she even realises that it's her that's spoken.

Killian startles at the sound of her voice, clearly not have been paying attention to the opening of the door or stopping of the shower, and twists around to face her with wide eyes. He seems to relax after a few seconds at her appearance but his smile is nervous and hesitant and he's scratching behind his ear.

"I, uh, I thought I'd take the floor," he tells her, stuttering, before seemingly picking himself up and shooting her a more genuine grin, "I did tell you I was a gentleman after all."

She rolls her eyes, "Just get in the bed, Killian."

"But, I-"

She walks forward, pushing her index finger into his chest, "I'm not quite that much of a bitch to make you sleep on the cold floor. I'm sure we can manage to sleep in the bed for one night without strangling each other." Her statement is punctuated with raised eyebrows and a prodge to his chest.

He chuckles and nods, "If you insist."

"But-" she begins, a teasing smile on her lips "you need to shower first." She wrinkles her nose for extra emphasis.

Killian's the one rolling his eyes now. "Are you saying I smell, Swan?"

"Well, I wasn't going to say - ow, Killian," she cuts off, whining as the pillow hits her directly in the face and makes her stumble backwards slightly. She makes a face, glaring at him, "That was uncalled for."

A teasing grin is her only reply, "Not so fun when you're on the receiving end is it, love?"

She huffs, placing the pillow back down on the bed and points to the door, "Shut up and get in the shower."

He rolls his eyes and with a dramatic bow, he gives her a small nod, "If you insist."

"I do."

He pauses, turning around with his hand still on the door, "You always have to get the last word in, don't you?"

"No, I do-" she cuts off mid sentence at his knowing look, his raised eyebrows and mouth twisted into a smug smirk as he realised she was just going to prove his point.

She narrows her eyes at him laughing as she stares pointedly to the bathroom.

He laughs, "I'm going, I'm going."

(She tries her best to glare at his retreating back but really, a happy smile is soon tugging at her lips, even after the door shuts behind him.)

(And she just thinks that she likes him, maybe just a little bit-

-and maybe, just maybe, they can get back to having what they had developed back then-

-and damn, if it didn't make her heart race in her chest at the thought of being Killian Jones' girlfriend.)

-/-

He's barely in the bathroom ten minutes before the door opens and he shoots her a crooked smile, shutting the door softly behind him.

"So," he drawls out as he comes to a stop at the foot of the bed, "Do you have a side you prefer?"

It's strange to see him like this. He seems almost shy and nervous and it's such a contrast from the Killian she knows that each time he scratches behind his neck, she can't help but widen her smile ever so slightly.

She barely restrains a giggle as he runs a hand through his dark hair and tells him, "Right."

He nods, bunching up the blankets as he crawls in. She follows suit and tries not to laugh at the way he shuffles closer to the edge of the bed because she's quite sure that he's going to fall off soon. As soon as her weight settles on the bed, however, he twists around and he's shooting her a soft smile.

His gaze eventually becomes too much - so full of intensity and longing - that she tries to laugh it off, an awkward bubble of giggles spilling from her lips as she dodges his eyes, glancing down at her hands as she fidgets with the blue blanket.

"What?"

He grins, shaking his head. "Nothing," he murmurs.

She rolls her eyes in reply.

"Emma?" he asks softly and she swears she can hear a faint twinge of longing in his voice.

"Yeah?" she hums.

He licks his bottom lip, eyebrows pushed together before he shrugs and leans forward to caress her cheek with his left palm. "Good night," he tells her softly, voice a whisper in the small room and his breath fanning across her cheek.

(She almost leans in to kiss him goodnight. Almost.)

She smiles softly in reply shoots him a whispered, "Night."

Twisting around, she gives him her back, realising that sleep would be rather difficult if she was aware of his face so close to hers all night long. Her fingers clench around the pillow at her head, forcing her breathing to even out as she allows her eyes to close.

Some time later (and Emma's not quite sure how much time has passed), her eyes flash open as she sighs heavily, frustrated. Seems sleep was going to be as difficult to get as she predicted it would be.

The bed shakes as Killian fidgets and she holds her breath as she feels him moving closer. Soon enough, she can feel him pushed against her back, his t-shirt scratching the top of her back. He's breathing unevenly against the soft skin of her neck and Emma just knows he's awake.

"Emma?" he rasps against her and dear lord, if this is what he sounds like when he wakes up every day, she's seriously been missing out.

She gulps but doesn't dare to turn around. "Yes?"

"Oh," she can practically see him frown in his mind. "You're awake."

She does turn around at that, coming face to face with him with less than a centimeter separating them.

"Yes," she breathes against him.

"A patch of insomnia?" he questions and he looks so god damn concerned that she wants to hug him and not let go and god, she hates how adorable he is too.

She lets out a quiet chuckle, voice a whisper, "Something like that."

"Looks like it's going around," he sighs.

"Looks like it," Emma echoes.

He falls silent after that but his eyes don't falter from her face, watching every expression that passes. She hesitates, biting her lip, before her mouth opens before she can stop herself, "Why didn't you call?"

He frowns, "Emma-"

"I know you said that you saw me with Neal and I get that it didn't look good, I do," she insists, "But is that really the reason that all I heard was radio silence and biting comments?"

"You weren't acting any differently yourself, Emma," he reminds her, a frown still marring his features.

Her mouth opens and closes before she sighs. "Yeah, I know but-" she cuts herself off before continuing in a much quieter voice, "Why did you think I'd do that?"

Killian softens immediately. "Emma, it's not - bloody hell - it's not you or it wasn't you, it's just-" he cuts himself off, sighing, and his hand comes up to his ear again. "It wasn't you," he eventually settles for, his tone firm.

His reply only causes her to feel more confusion. "Then what was it?"

Killian's red lips are pressed firmly into a thin line and he's glaring at a spot above her head that she eventually resigns to the fact that he's not going to answer so she's surprised when his hand travels down to hers, palm resting lightly on her knuckles.

"I guess you could say I've been burnt before by a similar situation," he says lowly, "before I moved to the states."

(She finds she doesn't like his answer much.)

She doesn't know what she was expecting but in no way was that it and she's struck, once again, by how similar the two of them are.

His words echo through her mind.

" _We're kindred spirits, you and I._ "

Then, because she's Emma Swan, she just has to - she has to get away from the conversation. And so, she gives him her back and sighs deeply, fingers coming up to press against her temples.

"We really should get some sleep," she tells him, voice muffled by the wall. "We'll have a long day tomorrow."

She can feel his frown as he shifts next to her and she thinks he's just going to ignore her but then-

"As you wish," she hears him mutter and then he shuffles again, indicating that he'd turned around again.

(She sighs heavily and wishes for once - just once - she wishes that she wasn't who she was that she could just-

-that she could just trust him.)

(But she isn't and she can't.)

(Not right now at least.)


	2. The Arrival

**Took a while to get out but I apologise. Kind of angsty with a tiny bit of fluff thrown in, I guess. Hope you all like it, anyways.**

 **\- Shauna! xo**

* * *

She doesn't sleep, merely lays there silently as she tries to lull out her breathing lest she wants Killian to come to the (correct) conclusion that she's awake.

And she succeeds. Mostly.

Until about 2 am when she feels Killian shift towards her, his chest pressing into her back as he sighs, a happy sound and she knows he's that he's asleep.

(At least she thought she did.)

His arm slowly wraps around her waist, almost hesitantly, until his hand finds its place to rest under her tank top, pausing along the smooth skin tightly before he relaxes suddenly, his breathing coming out against her hair as he inches forth until his head rests partly on her pillow.

She's tempted to do many things.

Kick him in the shin, send him flying off the bed, knee him in the balls.

The list was endless, really.

But, honestly, she can't exactly blame him for what he does in his sleep. Can she?

Not even when his arm wraps tighter around his waist and she feels his hand as it inches further upwards until its resting dangerously high on her stomach, extremely close to her chest area.

(At this point, she's severely tempted to kick him.)

(But she doesn't.)

And then his hand is on her breast, cupping it in his palm and yeah, she's going to kill him but then she hears a sigh of what she thinks is supposed to be her name as he nuzzles into her neck, his scruff causing goosebumps to raise all along her skin.

She was going to kill him, honestly, but the feeling of warmth - the entirety of him consuming her - is too much for Emma's sleep fogged brain to handle after the events of today and she finds her eyes drifting close, her hand curling around the arm that's tucked around her.

Just five minutes, she tells herself.

And then she'll get him off her.

(She wakes up nine hours later to an empty hotel room.)

-/-

Killian walks back into her - their - hotel (b and b?) room seconds after she wakes, a bashful smile on his face.

"Swan," he says, a grin lighting up his face, before faltering slightly and the lightness in his eyes dims just slightly as though sensing her reluctance. "I brought breakfast."

He holds up the brown, paper bag in emphasis as he closes the door behind him.

She shoots him a timid smile before shrugging.

"Not really hungry."

His eyebrows furrow in response but she doesn't take much notice, legs swinging over the bed as she scrambles over to her bag, rummaging through for clothes before she disappears through the bathroom door without another word, leaving a very confused Killian in her wake.

God, she was a coward.

She just couldn't help it.

She was Emma Swan and she always did what she did best. She ran.

-/-

Killian as it turns out had woken a couple of hours before her and had managed to book the car into the garage.

"Man said it would be ready for noon," he tells her, nodding. "So we have another two hours to kill before we can make it to meet with the group."

She nods in response, biting her lip as she relaxes back against the pillows at her back on their joint bed.

Killian for his part, doesn't seem the least less determined.

"So," he says brightly, running a hand through his dark, short locks. "What do you want to do? Since we have a couple of hours to kill."

She parts her lips to retort, a denial to spend any time longer than necessary in his presence probably - god, she even hated herself sometimes but admittedly, she was a coward when her phone rings.

Two long vibrations.

Ruby.

Or Mary Margaret.

But probably Ruby.

And yepp, she's right.

 **Please tell me you jumped his bones, Em.**

She snorts, rolling her eyes at the message and is about to respond when another long vibration comes through.

 **I mean not that I like him or anything, but if he wasn't so into you, I'd have climbed that man like a tree.**

 **God, that accent.**

 **And those blue eyes.**

And then...

 **Come on, Ems. I want details.**

Killian is staring at her with raised eyebrows and she shoots him a soft smile before shaking her head.

"Just Ruby," she tells him. "Told her we'd be a big late."

"Ah," he says.

Then, he scratches that damn spot behind his ear and it's such a nervous act (and adorable as hell, Emma admits begrudgingly) that she's suddenly overcome with the need to comfort him.

She stares as his blue eyes drop to the floor and then they flash back up to hers, catching her staring as a smirk spreads across his lips.

She blushes - actually blushes - and redirects her attention back to her phone and an impatient Ruby at being caught blatantly ogling him.

"No need for embarrassment, Swan," he murmurs. "Your attraction is hardly the secret I'm interested in identifying."

But something else is goes unsaid.

 _ **Don't get your hopes up, Lucas. Car will be ready by noon, will be there as soon as possible.**_

 _ **Oh, and if I did go there, telling me you want to have sex with him too? Not exactly the best move, is it?**_

She smiles brightly up at Killian as she pockets her phone.

"Why don't we get some food for the road?" she asks. "The less time we have to spend in here the better."

The in close quarters with you also is unspoken.

He grins in response.

"Far for me to deny a fair maiden," he murmurs and holds out his hand, blue eyes twinkling down at her.

(She finds herself taking it.)

(Maybe she wasn't such a coward after all.)

 **I knew it! I knew you liked him! You and me need to have words, Emma Swan.**

 **Oh, and I told Mary Margaret.**

 **We have many plans for when you get here.**

 **Like at least five.**

 **So you know, hurry your asses up.**

-/-

She avoids conversation with him as much as she can, keeping her eyes straight on the road as she blasts the music up, Coldplay filling the car.

She catches a frown on his face out of the corner of his eye but she pays it no mind, head flinging back against the car seat with a sigh as she hums, faking ignorance. She really didn't need to deal with this right now.

Honestly, it has all to do with what had just transpired in the gas station. She just doesn't want to deal with it right now.

 _The car was fine (thank god, hallelujah, or whatever). All they needed was some gas before they could hit the road. And so, that's where they were now - pulled up at one._

 _Killian was snickering to himself and she scoffed, rolling her eyes as she picked up a chocolate bar._

 _"What?" she snapped. "I'm starving."_

 _He merely grins, his dimples protruding._

 _"I bet you are, Swan," he murmurs._

 _She scoffs at the innuendo._

 _"Fine," she says. "Don't think you can steal a bite either."_

 _She can feel his eyes on her as she stops at the fridge, eyes scanning the drinks until she lands on an energy one. She probably needs it if she has any hope of staying awake until they get to camp._

 _She can feel his presence as he sneaks up behind her but still, she practically jumps when she hears his chuckle vibrating against her, his breathing coming out in puffs against the soft skin of her neck, sending shivers down her spine._

 _He sidesteps until his side is pressed against hers and he can take a look at her face and when she looks up, she sees that grin that she was expecting._

 _"Didn't realise you wanted to stay up with my that bad, darling," he comments lightly - well, she thought it was supposed to be light hearted until she catches a glance at his features._

 _His eyes are soft and focussed on her, his lips pressing firmly together as he gazes at her._

 _And god damn her but when he bites his lip between his teeth, she finds herself wanting to suck onto that lower lip herself._

 _She hears his footsteps loudly as he inches towards her and she watches as his eyes flicker down to her lips._

 _She wants to say something - anything - to stop him but nothing is coming from her lips and he's there, too close, with his breaths coming out against her lips and she's surrounded and consumed by everything that is him._

 _His musky, masculine scent is all around her, wrapping them up in their own cocoon and she can't help it. This - them is going to happen._

 _His lips are soft_ when _they tentative press against hers, his eyes closing just as hers does, and they've literally, barely, touched hers when she feels a vibration, pressing firmly into her hip._

 _She's confused, disorientated when he pulls back, her eyes fluttering open._

 _His eyes are dark as they stare down at her with what Emma assumes is lust and a hint of longing._

 _That's when she realises._

 _It's her phone._

 _And Killian seems to realise it the exact moment she does._

 _"Your phone," he mutters and she senses a tone of anger in his voice when he speaks._

 _She nods, feeling the awkwardness overtake them and she takes a deliberate, large step back and watches as Killian's gaze drops. His eyes fall to the floor, his hand coming up to scratch that spot behind his ear and she sort of wants to hug him but then again, she largely wants to run for the hills._

 _She'd barely unpocketed her phone when she hears him speak out again._

 _"You should get that," he says as her phone rings again._

 _She watches as his head snaps up, annoyance written all over his features._

 _"I'll be in the car," he practically growls as he marches away from her and she flinches as the door slams shut behind him._

 **Try not killing your future boyfriend on the way up here. I still want the option of grilling him and threatening him not to hurt you. See you soon.**

 _And it's that text what startles her, that very one what makes her put distances between the two of them. She knows that Ruby is only hoping for the best but for Killian, she's not it. He just needs to realise that._

Not that Killian doesn't try talking to her, he does, but she merely turns up the music, eyes glaring at the road and he seems to get the message. For now at least.

Two hours later and they're nearly there and it's a completely different situation, however.

Killian has turned the radio off and his jaw is clenching as he glares at the road.

"Emma," he says, hands tightening around the wheel. "We need to talk abou-"

"Nothing to talk about," she says firmly.

He scoffs, "I'd have to say I strongly disagree, love."

"Good for you," she mumbles.

"Emma," he starts before cutting off and sighing.

"Just drop it, Killian," she bites back. "And keep your eyes on the road."

"Bu-"

Killian, once again, is cut off when her phone rings.

"Yes?" she sighs in question on answer.

"Ems," she hears an excited bubble of a giggle on the opposite line.

She groans inwardly.

"Yes, Ruby?"

"You just passed us," she informs the blonde. "Literally like ten feet away."

"Oh," she frowns.

Ruby giggles again.

"See you in a few, then," Emma says slowly before the line cuts off.

Emma turns her head, looking to Killian but fortunately avoids his eyes.

"We just-"

"I know," he tells her firmly. "Just finding an appropriate area to turn."

She doesn't reply, just nods, and she feels the tension in the area even as they pull up and Killian pulls out the key.

She can see Ruby and Mary Margaret both bouncing towards the car but Killian suddenly has a death grip on her elbow.

"Emma," he pleads. "Please - let's talk about this. We at least owe each other that much."

And his eyes are suddenly too much - he's too much with the way he's looking at her.

Honestly, she's about to say yes. At least she thinks she is.

But, then the door is wrenched open and she's attacked by hugs just as Killian is.

"God," Ruby sighs dramatically. "It took you forever and a day to get here."

She laughs quietly, arms wrapping around Ruby as she stares over her shoulder and she finds Killian's stare is also on hers as his friends chat quietly beside him.

"Yeah," Emma says, her eyes firm on Killian's. "I'm sorry."


	3. Time For Friends

_**so a few of you have been asking me if i have abandoned this one, and i haven't i promise. i just suck at updating, especially with the million and one works in progress i currently have. saying that, this one is nearly finished now, since it was only supposed to be a drabble, so i hope you all enjoy this one.**_

 _ **and it's nearly 4.5k and it totally got out of hand, woops, but i hope you all enjoy it, nonetheless!**_

 _ **\- shauna! xo**_

* * *

Her and Killian are barely there for a few moments, before she's in Ruby and Mary Margaret's arms, and the two girls are pulling her off to the side. She watches from the corner of her eyes, as she sees Killian's eyes lingering on her for a few moments, as he presses his lips firmly together before he's being whisked away by Victor and David. She smiles sadly in response.

Mary Margaret is suddenly pulling on her arm, and she looks up to see the two of them peering down at her, in curiosity.

"Well," Ruby drawls out. "At least you didn't kill each other. That's a plus, right?"

"Yeah," she hears Mary Margaret laugh quietly as she runs a hand through her dark locks. "I half expected you to come dragging his body along the way."

She tries to laugh, she really does, despite how she feels, and honestly, even she's surprised when a sob comes from her throat, with tears streaming down her face, that she really can't seem to control. Really, she tries to stop them, but once she's started crying, it's hard to, and then she's bundled up in her two best friend's arms, before she can even breathe.

Honestly, she's just glad that the boys had retreated to showing Killian where they'd put the tents up, because the last thing she needs to do is explain.

Mary Margaret's concerned, dark eyes are the first thing she sees, through the blur of the tears, as she hears the two of them murmuring quietly to one another.

"Emma," Ruby says, her voice shocked. "What's wrong?"

She just sniffles pathetically, as she shuffles back against the car door at her back, with the two girls following her.

"Tell us," Mary Margaret is saying, her voice purposefully soft, as she pleads. "We can help."

She laughs at that, a slightly morbid thing that lacks humor.

"I doubt that," Emma murmurs, as her hands come up to her face, her fingers wiping her tears away.

And seriously where did that come from? Because the tears are over almost as soon as they'd stopped, though she still sniffles as she looks up at the two of them.

Ruby's gaze is scrutinizing as she looks back at the blonde, and her head tips to the side, her eyes narrowing.

"Did Killian do something?"

Emma presses her lips together, and she fails to answer her question. Because did he do something? Sort of. But, she was completely innocent in the matter, was she? Most certainly not. But, Killian didn't hurt her, not in the way that Ruby was implying, anyway.

His actions did hurt her, once upon a time, but Emma supposes she's as much to blame for the biting words.

Mary Margaret's gaze also narrows, and she bites her lip, her head snapping up, as she opens her mouth to explain.

"I knew it," Ruby mutters. "I knew he'd do something. I told Victor, I told him not to invite Jones, that he'd just be an asshole but no, they're friends and that's what friends do. I'm going to kill him."

Ruby runs her hands through her dark curls, and Emma rushes to correct the situation.

"No, no, no," she moves to grab onto Ruby's hands. "He didn't hurt me, not like that. I mean, we're fine. Really."

Mary Margaret's eyes are sharp as they flash to hers.

"But he did hurt you?" she asks, her voice soft, as though she knows it needs to be, lest she wants to scare Emma off.

Emma presses her lips together, her jaw twitching because she's really not sure how to answer that one. Because yes, he did hurt her, but she hurt him too. Didn't she? She most certainly did, if the look he sent her when they arrived was any indication.

"Not today," she settles on, finally.

That's true, at least. Well, sort of. He may have brought up some past memories, but he didn't hurt her any more today, than he had previously, and the two of them, they'd sort of come to an understanding earlier. Hadn't they? Though, she wasn't sure if that was still in effect.

Ruby's hair frames her narrow face, as her head twists.

"But he did hurt you?" Ruby presses.

"Not physically," Emma mutters.

Mary Margaret looks on, with those too understanding eyes, and she takes another step forward, as she reaches out to grasp one of Emma's hands in her own. When Emma looks at her, her lips are twisted up into a sad smile.

"I think you should start at the beginning."

So she does, without leaving anything out.

(Even if she does cry, again, and why was she so emotional today?)

"It started at that party you and Victor had when the two of you moved in together..."

And she doesn't stop.

-/-

 _Emma sort of hates Ruby tonight, that much she knows, and honestly, she sort of wants to strangle her for dumping the blonde with her cousins, because they're all dull and irritating, and honestly, her male cousins just won't stop hitting on her. So, it's with a fake smile, that she ends up avoiding them, and heading straight to the bar that Ruby had just bought._

 _Honestly, it was half of the reason she was still here. Well, that and she'd promised Ruby, and Mary Margaret, but both of them were off with their boyfriends, so they surely wouldn't mind if she just-_

 _"One would think you were trying to get away."_

 _Her head snaps up, and she barely refrains from groaning out loud._

 _"Brady," she grits out between clenched teeth._

 _One of Ruby's cousins. Just fantastic._

 _He grins, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight._

 _"I thought I might find you over here," he muses, "By the bar. Ruby tells me you like vodka?"_

 _What woman doesn't when she's trying to get drunk?_

 _He moves in front of her, pushing her out of the way, and rude, she thinks inwardly, as he goes about mixing the drink._

 _"Let me," he says, a few seconds too late, and she grits her teeth, mentally going through what excuses she could give him, so that she could leave._

 _Literally, anything._

 _She sighs, snarling under her breath._

 _"Of course," she mutters._

 _Because it wouldn't be great to cause a scene with one of Ruby's cousins at her party, would it now? Though, she's certain she's going to kill Ruby tomorrow._

 _"Swan."_

 _Her head snaps up, her body twisting around, when she hears her name being called in a vaguely familiar accent. Her eyebrows furrow for a second, before she realises who it is. Killian, she remembers. One of David and Victor's friends._

 _The one with the sinful accent, and bedroom eyes._

 _Seriously, where did they find this man?_

 _He grins, his left dimple protruding, and she can't help but smile back, even when she catches that dangerous glint in his eyes._

 _"There you are, love," he sighs, dramatically, gesturing around him. "I've been looking for you everywhere."_

 _She knows what he's doing, and honestly, she could kiss him right now._

 _"Sorry," she giggles, playing along. "I wanted to dance."_

 _"Such high maintenance," he rolls his eyes playfully, and she grins again._

 _Emma hears a cough, just as Killian steps towards her, his arm wrapping firmly around her waist. Killian hears it too, because his head twists to the side, though his fingers tighten over her ribs, pulling her more firmly into him._

 _"It's Brady, right?" Killian asks, a peaceful smile on his lips._

 _Brady looks mad, but he merely nods, and with one last look, he's taking off, muttering under his breath._

 _"Rude," Emma mutters._

 _Killian releases her with a low chuckle._

 _"Without a doubt," he agrees. "You have a habit of attracting that sort of crowd, Swan."_

 _"Lucky me," she mutters._

 _Killian's eyes gleam in the light, as he looks down at her._

 _"Indeed."_

 _She smiles back._

 _"So," she laughs, almost nervously, as she runs a hand through her blonde curls, "Thank you for saving me. Back there, I mean."_

 _Killian smirks, and his hand reaches back so he can scratch that damn spot behind his ear._

 _"No worries, love," he tells her. "I can always recognise when a lady's in need of a saviour, and I am happy to rescue you."_

 _Emma snorts, rolling her eyes, because who talks like that? This guy apparently._

 _Killian's grin seems to widen, and he steps back, dropping his arms loosely by his side. He coughs, but he holds out a hand for her to take, his lips twisting up when she looks at it, before her eyes flicker back up to his face. He rolls his eyes, and he curls his fingers slightly._

 _"I'm not going to kill you," he murmurs playfully. "But since we've established that you do owe me, since I played the saviour so beautifully for you, love, how about we go take a walk outside? I would so hate it if Brady comes back for you, again."_

 _She's already taking his hand before he's finished, rolling her eyes, even as she weaves her fingers through his._

 _"I could have handled it," she tells him, and he grins._

 _"I have no doubt that you can handle yourself," he tells her, "But since you didn't, and I did help you out. Let's settle on that you owe me a favour? Hmm. And something tells me that you're friends have left you to fend for yourself, so how about we get some fresh air, and we can actually hear ourselves think?"_

 _She smiles up at him, and honestly, she's sort of enamored._

 _"Lead the way, sailor," she tells him, because it's sort of been a joke in the group, since they'd found out he'd been in the navy, at one point._

 _He dimples._

 _"As you wish."_

 _God. She was so screwed._

 _-/-_

Killian lets himself be dragged off by his mates, though he's almost completely ignoring everything that they say, as his eyes remain on one stubborn blonde, as she looks back at him, over her friend's shoulders. Her eyes are sad, as they look back at him, and he's sure his are almost identical. Her eyebrows furrow, and her eyes drop, her lips pressing together, before she turns away from him completely.

He's left feeling very confused.

"Glad you finally got here," Victor is saying, his lips stretched into a grin.

He barely manages a smile back, but he does. In the end.

David laughs at that, as the two guide him to where they'd manage to put up the tents, and honestly, that's something he'd have paid to see, because he really can't imagine the two men doing that. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if Ruby did all the work.

"Please," David is saying, "I'm more impressed that you're in one piece. Mary Margaret was complaining all the way here about Emma, about how sure she was that she was going to back out at the last minute, since she had to ride with you."

He tries to ignore the pang in his heart at the reminder of Emma, and how much she'd taken a dislike to him, as of late.

Killian vaguely hears Victor laugh back.

"That's nothing, mate," Victor tells him. "Ruby was almost 99% sure Jones over here would be showing up in a body bag, and honestly, I was starting to think so too, when you both took so long to get here."

"Vehicle issues," Killian tells them both between gritted teeth, as he ignores their teasing.

"Ruby mentioned that," David says, though his eyebrows are raised.

Killian snorts, rolling his eyes.

"What?" he mutters, in question.

"The two of you are almost here a full twenty-four hours later," Victor points out. "Excuse us if we're a little curious about how you spent last night."

And all of a sudden, Killian sees where this grilling session is going.

"Nothing happened," Killian mutters.

"Mm. Sure."

"I should hope not," David butts in. "Because you'd need my permission first."

Emma and David's relationship was no longer strange to any member of the group. The two of them had known each other since they were little and Emma was in foster care, if Killian remembers correctly. She was the one who ended up introducing him to Mary Margaret, too, and David had become protective over Emma, when he'd seen all that she'd been through.

Not that he blames the man. Killian feels protective over Emma too. Just in another completely different way.

Victor laughs at that, rolling his eyes slightly.

"Please, if Emma ever heard you say that she'd castrate you."

It was also no stranger to know that Emma was fiercely independent, and she valued her free will, to any member of the group. She was probably one of the most stubborn individual's he'd ever encountered. Victor was correct though, she'd kick Dave's ass if he even tried.

David laughs, but shrugs.

"The sentiment still remains the same," Dave says firmly, and Killian recognises that for what it is.

A threat.

David had no qualms about kicking his ass, if it came to it, and choosing between him or Emma, Killian knew what his answer would be.

"Leave the man alone," Victor tells him, and though David rolls his eyes, he does just that.

Killian, though, feels as though he has something to add.

" _Something_ did happen," he murmurs, and when he feels two eyes flash to his face, one angry and the other knowing, he hastens to add, "Not last night, or even today. It was... a while back, now."

Killian scratches behind his neck, as his eyes drop to the floor.

"No way," he looks up to see Victor staring at him in disbelief. "You and Emma? That's- no way! She practically hates your guts, and I haven't seen anything from you, either, to say that the feeling wasn't mutual."

He scratches behind his ear again.

"It's not," he sighs. "It's not like that. And it was a long time ago," he adds.

David's eyes look concerned as they flash to his.

"How long ago?" He asks.

Killian doesn't look at him though, his eyes turn to Victor, and he bites his lip.

"Remember that party you and Ruby threw?"

Victor nods, once.

"Yeah, like last year? I think," he hums under his breath.

Killian nods.

"Then?" David asks, incredulously. "And you're just now telling us, because?"

"Because it's none of your business," Killian snips. "It's between me and Emma."

Dave looks as though he's going to argue but much to Killian's surprise, he doesn't, merely pressing his lips together.

"So why are you telling us now?"

Killian sighs, as he runs a hand through his hair.

"Because I really don't know what to do."

David _raises_ an eyebrow as he looks at him.

"Then, what happened? And do keep in mind that I don't need to hear everything," Dave emphasises.

Victor's eyebrows raise interestedly.

"Keep in mind, that I do," he muses.

Killian rolls his eyes.

"It wasn't like that," he protests.

Because it could never be that simple, between the two of them. They were Emma and Killian, and it had never been simple. They were just them, the two of them, together.

-/-

 _They don't end up far on their walk, and far too little walking ends up being done, before Emma finds herself pressed to the wall outside of Ruby's place, with a certain Killian Jones plastered up against her, and honestly, if you asked Emma, she couldn't even tell you how it all began. All she knew was that Killian kept giving her this really intense look, his blue eyes smouldering, and the next second her lips are locked with his, and she finds herself pressed against the wall._

 _His lips are soft to begin with, barely pressing against hers, but when she reaches up to lock her arms around his neck and her teeth nibble down on his bottom lip, he starts kissing her with vigor. He groans, as he deepens the kiss, and he opens his mouth, when her tongue swipes out against his lips._

 _She groans, when he pushes her harder against the wall, and she finds herself kissing him enthusiastically, his tongue pushing into the hot cave of her mouth._

 _Killian's got one hand pressing against the wall, at the side of her head, whist the other curls itself around her neck, his thumb rubbing against the soft skin of her cheek, as he angles her head the way he wants it, so he can kiss her deeper. She grins into him, when she feels a moan of her name, as her left hand, travels down his leather jacket, down his waist, until she can plant it into the back pocket of his jeans and pull him more firmly into her._

 _And honestly, she really doesn't know how, but a few moments later, he's got her legs wrapped around his waist, his prominent erection pressing against the hot heat of her deliciously, and really, she's about thirty seconds from dragging him home with her._

 _He pulls away from her lips with a gasp, and his eyes are dilated with lust, when she catches his eyes. She bites her lip, but his lips go back to her skin, trailing along her neck, and it's her whose groaning when he gets just that spot. He must know it, too, because she feels his teeth nibbling on that spot, his fingers tightening around her neck, until he can suck harder._

 _Her head drops back slightly, and her right hand reaches up to grab onto his hair, her fingers running through his dark locks._

 _She can still feel him, hot and ready, between her thighs, and she groans when he rocks into her, and she grinds right back against him. She smirks when she hears his very audible intake of breath, and his lips hover over her neck. It sends shivers down her spine, that he's so close, but he isn't quite touching her, and he seriously needs to touch her, before she goes mad._

 _His hand travels down her neck, curving around until it lands on her back, and then he's cupping her ass in his palm, and pulling her forward to grind against his cock, and really, she can't help the whimper she lets out. Even, if she's left wondering if it really came from her._

 _"Killian," she groans, at the feeling of him, more so when he knocks her jacket off at one shoulder, his lips following. "God, Killian."_

 _And apparently, that is like she dumped a bucket of ice-cold water on him, because he's suddenly pulling away from her, with wide eyes._

 _"Emma," he says, his tone serious, with his blue eyes gazing up at her._

 _Her eyebrows furrow, because what the hell? They were well on their way to fucking nine ways to Sunday and now he's got a problem?_

 _Her legs are suddenly back on the ground, and Killian is taking an unsteady step backwards. Though, he breathes in sharply when they disconnect from each other, and she smirks in response, but she's also shocked, at how smug she feels._

 _She raises an eyebrow._

 _"So, that's it, Jones?" she asks, tsking him, and shaking her head. "Gonna get me all hot and bothered, then you're gonna leave me to take care of it?" She grins, when his eyes widen slightly at that, followed by them darkening in lust. "That's bad form, you know."_

 _(She only adds on that comment since she knows how he feels about bad form and all that.)_

 _Killian shakes his head._

 _"Bad form would be taking you in your less than sober state," he tells her, his voice calm._

 _"You didn't seem to have a problem with it a minute ago," she points out._

 _He shakes his head, again._

 _"I don't want it to be like this," he tells her, and her eyebrows raise._

 _"Like what?"_

 _"A one time thing, that you do when you're drunk and you regret the next day. I want this to mean something, to both of us," he professes, and her eyes widen in response. He must catch that because he shakes his head, "Come now, Swan. I fancy you. Surely you've noticed?"_

 _She has noticed that he seemed to be attracted to her, but she didn't think he actually liked her._

 _Killian just shakes his head, and plasters a smile on his face._

 _"Nevermind," he murmurs, and he takes another step away from her, holding out his hand, "How about I walk you home? Ruby tells me you don't live too far from here, but you can never be too careful."_

 _"Wait," she suddenly yelps out, stumbling forward, and grabbing onto the lapels of his jacket to stop herself from falling._

 _She looks up at him, just as he grabs her waist to steady her, and she's already lost in his baby blue eyes._

 _"You like me?" She says slowly, half stating, half asking._

 _He shakes his head in response, and sighs._

 _"You really are oblivious. Aren't you, Swan?"_

 _She glares at him, though it's half-hearted and she hits him in the chest, softly._

 _"Shut up," she mutters._

 _"Nonetheless," he grins. "I find it endearing," and she can't help but smile back. "So, I take it you wouldn't be opposed if I were to ask you out on a date?"_

 _He sounds so hopeful, she can't help it, but he also sounds nervous, and he looks so boyish as he smiles up at her. She shakes her head, grinning to herself, as she reaches up to pull his head down to hers, meeting his lips for a soft, lingering kiss, groaning when he kisses her back deeply._

 _She pulls away though, her forehead resting against his, and she smiles._

 _"I would love that."_

 _"Is that so?" he grins, pulling back from her slightly, so he can look up into her eyes._

 _"Hm," she hums, sighing softly._

 _He reaches down for her hand, interlocking their fingers together, and she smiles as she looks down, to see him pulling her against him softly._

 _"Come on then, Swan. Let's get you home."_

 _"Hm, that sounds nice," she murmurs, and he smiles once more, a bright genuine one, that makes him look incredibly boyish. "But don't think this means you're getting in my pants, just yet, Jones."_

 _He grins._

 _"I wouldn't dream of it, love."_

 _-/-_

Killian realises it's been some time, when the girls finally join them, and the sky is finally starting to darken, the colours bursting over the sunset. He watches as Mary Margaret joins David on a log to his left, and Ruby joins Victor, both of them grinning. Honestly, it leaves a pang of jealousy in his stomach, that they have it that simple.

He's surprised however when he feels a tug on his hand, and his head snaps around to find Emma Swan smiling down at him.

"Hey," she breathes.

His jaw drops slightly, when she takes a seat beside him, though his lips soon twist up into a smile when he notices that she never dropped his hand.

"Hey yourself," he responds.

She smiles back, and he can't help but grin, despite of everything.

He waits a minute before speaking up again.

"You do realise we're sharing a tent, don't you?" He asks her, because he can't help but feel her friends may have left that out, especially considering how they'd had to plead with her to get Emma to ride in a car with him.

She's still smiling slightly, as she shakes her head.

"Yeah," she sighs. "Mary Margaret let it slip. Ruby wasn't happy that she did, she's still convinced that I'm going to go home, but then I had to find out eventually, as Mary Margaret puts it."

He nods, once.

"And you don't mind?" He asks, because he can't help it.

She shrugs.

"We did share a bed last night," she reminds him, as though he could forget. "What's two more nights?"

And honestly, Killian's not entirely convinced that this is Emma, because this seems to simple, and seems to want to get along with him. It's one of the first times she's been so easy to talk to, and considering how she'd snapped earlier, he expected her to be much more difficult.

He presses his lips together, as he lets his eyes wander over to the group.

"Would you like to join them?" He asks, when he realises that the two of them are a fair bit away.

"No," she sighs, and he watches with rapted attention as her fingers tighten around his, her body twisting slightly until she can lean against him. "I'm right where I want to be."

He doesn't think he's ever smiled so widely, but that soon drops when she twists her head back to him, her eyes wide and open and honest.

"Can we talk?"

* * *

 _ **so, whew! what did you guys think?**_

 ** _love it? hate it?_**

 ** _did you have a favourite line or favourite part? let me know in a review. i'd love to hear from you._**

 ** _\- shauna! xo_**


	4. The Talk

_**not too long of a wait for you all, i hope? i did hope to get this out sooner, but if you follow me on tumblr you'd know that i've been moving, and it's taken me a couple of weeks to get the internet, and i get no signal where i live which sucks, ugh. anyway, updating should be back to normal again now.**_

 _ **however, just a warning that i move into university on the 17th of september, so there may be a few days, where i don't update, and i'm not around much, but it won't be for long, i promise. even if updating may be slightly slower, when i start. anyways, i hope you all like this one!**_

 _ **\- shauna! xo**_

* * *

By the time Emma has finished her story of that night, she's stopped crying, the silent tears halting and that's not the only thing that has halted. Her, Ruby and Mary Margaret have found themselves pausing in their stroll, and near the lake on the camping grounds. There's a few big rocks to at the side of them, where they'd stopped, and Ruby has taken to sprawling across one, with Mary Margaret resting lightly on a slightly smaller one.

"God," Ruby groans dramatically before she wipes a hand over her forehead, making the other two roll their eyes. "Have we been walking forever?"

Emma snorts.

"Barely," she mutters. "About an hour and a half. How unfit are you?"

A sinful smile crosses Ruby's red lips, and her eyes light up with mischief.

"I'm sure Victor would attest to how very fit I am," Ruby tells her, and Emma groans in response.

Emma lets that settle as she climbs up onto the highest rock, and she sighs deeply to herself as she sits herself down, her arms wrapping around her knees tightly and hugging them to her chest, her lips pressing tightly together. When she looks up, she finds two pairs of eyes on her.

Mary Margaret seems to be soft, whilst Ruby's seem to be hard.

"Emma," Mary Margaret begins, her voice purposefully soft. "Have you talked to him?"

Emma shrugs, because what is the right answer to that?

"Sort of," Emma tells her. "We spoke some on the way here."

"And you still haven't resolved it?"

"There's nothing to resolve," Emma tells her firmly, her tone hard. "We kissed, once upon a time, and he thought the worst when he saw me with Neal the next morning. Nothing more, and nothing less. It's not like we ever dated. We never even went on one date."

Ruby's eyes have turned to the floor, and her eyes seem to be burning into the grass.

"I knew he was an asshole," she mutters.

Emma watches as Mary Margaret's head snaps around to her, and Emma's eyes narrow in response, too, and she wants to jump into Killian's defense too. Although, between what has happened between them, she's not entirely sure why.

"Ruby," she hears Mary Margaret hiss.

Ruby's head snaps up, and she raises an eyebrow in response.

"What?" the brunette bites back. "He is, if what I'm hearing is any indication. I've never truly liked him, no matter how pretty his blue eyes are."

Emma's eyes narrow, but it's not in Killian's defense. Rather, it's at the last comment. She's not blind, she knows Killian's hot, but the way the sentence is said, makes her think that something more had happened between Ruby and Killian. Maybe she's wrong, but she feels a churn of jealousy stirring in her stomach. She bites that back, and presses her lips together as she stares back at Ruby, her eyebrows raised in question.

"And it sounds as though Emmas is just as much to blame," Mary Margaret points out. "You should not judge him, merely based on those actions alone."

Ruby's eyes narrow and she glares just as Emma murmurs, "Excuse me?"

Mary Margaret's eyes roll, as she twists back to face Emma.

"Maybe he did jump to conclusions," she is saying, slowly, and her eyes are wide, her tone careful, as she stares at her friend. "But can you deny that you would not have done the same, in his position?"

And Emma has to give her points for that, for knowing her so well, because she probably would, and Mary Margaret knows that. After everything she's been through, it makes it hard to trust anyone, and the only reason she trusts her small group of friends, is probably because they've been around so long, and proved that she can rely on them, time and time again.

So, Emma presses her lips together in response, humming underneath her breath, as her eyes drop to the floor, though she still feels Mary Margaret's eyes on her.

"And to me, it sounds as though you are just as much to blame for everything that has transpired since then," Mary Margaret continues, and she can't disagree with that, Emma supposes. "You could have spoken to him, and you were the one that suddenly turned nasty after that night, even if you didn't fully understand why he didn't show up, just as late."

Emma's eyes are cutting as they glare at her friend.

"Just as he could have said something too," Emma accuses.

Mary Margaret nods, and Ruby remains uncharacteristically quiet.

"Absolutely," she agrees. "But my point being you could have, also. And can you blame him, for immediately jumping to conclusions? When the two of you barely knew each other, then, and a lot has happened since then, and a lot of not particularly nice exchanges have been made. Unnecessarily, as it turns out, and you are completely not innocent in that, as you know."

"Neither is he." Honestly, she feels like a little child getting scolded by her mother, but she can't help but point it out.

Mary Margaret pointedly ignores her and continues speaking, "I'd like to think that you could remain friends. Be civil to each other, at the very least, and since the two of you will be spending some time around each other, you could at least pretend to get along. And who knows? As you get to know each other more, you may find that you like him, and he you."

Emma pauses, as she lets that settle, and her fingers curl in on themselves, her fingernails digging into the soft skin of her palms. When she looks up, she finds Ruby's eyes on her.

"Outside the bedroom that is," Ruby tells her, with a malicious grin.

Emma's eyes narrow.

"I told you," she tells her between gritted teeth. "We never went that far."

Ruby hums, "So you say."

Emma glares at her friend, and she pauses before she adds, "We never even went up to my room."

Ruby smirks, and looks as though she's about to add more, before Mary Margaret buts in.

"At the very least," Mary Margret is saying. "You could try to get along for the weekend. We are all going to be stuck together for a while, as it is."

Emma lets her lips twists up into a small smile, and she's about to but in before she sees Mary Margaret's head swipe around to face Ruby once more.

"And you," she says in a tone that is reminiscent of a mother telling off a child, as she turns to face Ruby with a slight glare to her face. "You will not make this any worse, between the two of them, and you will not be tormenting Killian."

Ruby's eyes widen, and a look of false innocence crosses her face, her lips pursing as she stares up at her friend.

"Me?" Ruby asks, her eyes purposefully wide. "Never."

Mary Margaret smiles slightly, but her eyes are still slightly narrowed, as she stares.

"I mean it, Ruby," Mary Margaret tells her, though her tone is soft. "All you've heard is from Emma. You don't know his side, and you most certainly do not know what he's been through. If you saw Victor with his ex-girlfriend, wouldn't you jump to conclusions?"

Emma watches as Ruby's jaw tightens and she begrudgingly nods, though the cords in her neck are stiff.

"I guess," Ruby mutters, though Emma can tell it's forced.

"Exactly," Mary Margaret nods. "And you have no idea what he's been through, and if what David tells me is true, Killian is just as damaged as the best of us."

Emma's head snaps to the side.

"And what exactly has David told you?" Emma asks, her question soft.

Mary Margaret's eyes catch hers and she bites her lip, as she seems to hesitate, before answering softly.

"Not much," her friend admits. "Whenever I ask, David merely says that Killian has been through a lot in his years, and that he reminds him of you in that respect, but he's never gone into much detail. He says it's Killian's business, and if wants to tell anyone he will do so himself."

Emma's lips press together, and she nods slightly, at Mary Margaret's smile.

She thinks they're done, so she stands up off the rock, and makes a move to walk forward, but a call of her name has her turning around.

"Emma?"

"Yeah?" she hums, as she twists around.

"Go easy on the guy," Mary Margaret tells her, and she finds Ruby nodding.

"Excuse me?"

Mary Margaret shrugs.

"I have a feeling he's really into you, and you can be rather... difficult, sometimes, even if you feel the same, which I suspect you do."

Emma sighs deeply, and she lets her eyes drift up as she murmurs, "I do."

Ruby grins once more.

"I knew it! I knew you had the hots for Killian," Ruby tells her, her smile cutting into her cheeks.

Emma rolls her eyes.

"I thought you didn't like him?" Emma asks.

Ruby shrugs. "I'll not deny that he's a bit of an asshole, but a hot one, nonetheless, and one you seemingly have a thing for."

Emma hums, and let's that settle, shaking her head slightly.

Ruby speaks up again, though, "So what are you waiting for?"

"I don't know," Emma sighs. "I really don't."

Because she doesn't, not anymore. Because, seriously, what the hell was she doing anyway? Staying away and sending out hurtful responses wasn't helping anybody, and by the looks of things, it had hurt Killian as much as it had hurt her, and maybe, just maybe, it was time to leave the past in the past.

When she looks up, Ruby's eyes are back on hers, though there's a softness that wasn't there before, as her head tips to the side.

"So, don't."

Maybe she won't.

She smiles, her lips twitching, and she lets out a long breath.

"Okay."

-/-

The three of them decide to head back to where they'd decided to camp not a few minutes later, and it doesn't take them very long, with Ruby finding a short cut, thank the heavens, all of them muttering about how they'd hoped the tents were up.

Ruby rolls her eyes.

"My expectations aren't very high," Ruby muses, shaking her brown hair slightly. "They're all useless at anything like that."

Emma laughs quietly, because she would have paid to see them trying to put the tents up. She'd never seen Killian or Victor trying to put one up, but she knew David would fail miserably.

Five minutes later, and they're there to find the sky turning dark. They must have been gone longer than Emma had realised, and the boys are all sat on different logs, circled around a fire, and honestly, Emma's almost impressed at that. She watches as Ruby and Mary Margaret share a secret smile and Mary Margaret murmurs something in her ear, before she goes to join David, and then she joins Killian on a log, a smile pulling at her lips, as she goes to sit beside him.

She immediately goes to intertwine their fingers, tugging on his hand slightly, a smile pulling at her lips when she sees him inhale sharply in response, shock clearly radiating from his features as his head snaps in her direction.

"Hey," she manages to get out, coming out more breathy than she intended.

She smiles slightly, when his lips twist up into a smile when he looks down at their hands.

"Hey yourself," he murmurs back.

She smiles back, which widens, when he shoots her a grin.

She sits back slightly, shuffling into his side, in what she hopes is subtle. She knows he's hesitating, wanting to say something, before he speaks up once more.

"You do realise we're sharing a tent, don't you?" He asks her.

She smiles, at that, her head twisting so that she can get a good look at his face, because even now, after everything that was said, he's still trying to be nice. A perfect gentleman, as he'd once claimed that he was. Emma always saw him for more of a rascal, but she can't deny that he has good form, at the very least.

"Yeah," she sighs, and she runs a hand through her messy blonde curls, because Mary Margaret had mentioned it on their stroll back, as Ruby had sent her a lingering smirk, and a wink. "Mary Margaret let it slip. Ruby wasn't happy that she did, she's still convinced that I'm going to go home, but then I had to find out eventually, as Mary Margaret puts it."

Which was true. Ruby didn't exactly want her to know, as they'd walked back, but she'd eventually shrugged, and said that if she wanted to jump Killian's bones, it was for the best, since she didn't want to see that.

He nods, once.

"And you don't mind?" He asks.

She could seriously kiss him for how thoughtful he's being. Honestly, and she feels butterflies in her stomach. Even if she won't admit it. On the outside, however, she shrugs, and lets her shoulders drop, feigning ignorance.

"We did share a bed last night," she reminds him, though her tone is gentle. "What's two more nights?"

Because even now, she can't admit that she wants him. Not now, and not here. Not with so many lingering eyes and ears, and she's decided she is determined on giving this a chance now, on giving him a chance, but it's the two of them. It's Killian and Emma, but she wants it to remain private, between the two of them. She doesn't want anything to get between them.

Emma watches as he presses his lips together, his jaw ticking slightly as his eyes snap over the fire, to Victor and Ruby.

"Would you like to join them?" He asks, and that shocks her slightly, because is she not being obvious enough? Or does he not want her anymore?

"No," tells him firmly, and his head snaps back to her.

She twists her body around until she can face him properly, though she's still pressed tightly against him.

"I'm right where I want to be," she says, and she means to sound reassuring, because he almost looks insecure as he stares down at her, his wide eyes open and honest, even if she feels like she's the one that needs reassurance.

Se doesn't think she's ever seem him smile so widely, and she knows that she's made the right decision but that soon drops when she twists her head back to him, her own eyes widening, as her lips purse.

"Can we talk?" she asks.

His forehead crumples slightly in response.

"Of course," he answers immediately.

Things turn silent for a few moments, and he peers down at her curiously, clearly waiting for her to start, but she shakes her head firmly.

"Not here," she almost whispers to him.

"Oh," he mutters, before he stands, and when she looks up, he's got an arm outstretched, his fingers waggling at her slightly, as he waits for her to take his hand. His eyebrows raise slightly in response, when she doesn't move. "Shall we, then?"

She smiles, her fingers wrapping around his as she stands.

"We shall," she murmurs, as she tugs on his hand, and she grins when he smiles back at her, peaceful and genuine.

She looks around for a few moments, and she hesitates, before she looks to her left.

"This way?" she points.

He rolls his eyes.

"Only if you'd like to go back onto the road," he tells her as he tugs her in the opposite direction. "We'll have to go this way, towards the lake."

This time, she's the one rolling her eyes at his all-knowing tone.

"Shut up," she mutters underneath her breath.

He snorts, and he looks down at her, his blue eyes intense and soft all the same, as he gazes.

"You'd be lost without me," he murmurs.

She pauses, as she lets that settle, and she finds herself agreeing, all the same.

"Yeah," Emma sighs softly. "I would."

-/-

Emma's not sure where they end up, to be honest. If it was down to her, she'd say they're lost, but Killian seems to know his way about, walking with determination, so she figures that he has a better sense of direction than she does.

It remains silent as they walk, and honestly, Emma's just trying to work up the courage to speak to him. Though, it's harder than she thought.

She will talk to him, though, when they stop. She's determined now.

Their arms are swinging loosely by their sides, and his forearms brush up against her, now and again, making her shiver, and not just from the cold, too.

Killian seems to come to a sudden stop, however, and then he's twisting around to face her, with an expectant look on her face. She takes an unsteady step backwards, at the sudden abruptness, confusion flitting across her face.

"Killian?" She asks, carefully.

His head is angled down, and she can't quite catch his eyes, when he sighs loudly.

"What is this about?" Killian mutters, and his head twists upwards.

Her eyes catch his, and she bites her lip at the unfamiliar look she finds there. She finds she just can't quite read him today, and she doesn't like it.

"I wanted to talk," she tells him.

He raises an eyebrow in response.

"That much I gathered, love."

Emma presses her lips together at that, and she hesitates slightly, her mouth opening and closing a few times. Killian as always, seems to take his queue perfectly, as he stares down at her, his eyes scrutinizing, and his head tips to the side. He must find what he's looking for, because he's suddenly stepping back from her, and a loud sigh is escaping him.

His hand reaches up so that he can scratch that damn spot behind his ear, and she can't help but find it endearing.

He takes another purposeful step backwards, and Emma feels her heart clench.

"Perhaps we should walk back," she sees him mutter, and he almost looks disappointed, when his gaze drops to the grass below.

Maybe she hadn't been as secretive as she'd wished to have been? It did make sense that he would be upset, that she couldn't come out with it after all.

When he doesn't get a response from her, he nods once and he turns around.

"Wait," she lets out, and she rushes forward to grab onto his wrist, her fingers curling around his leather jacket.

He pauses, turning around to face her, and her face flushes with how nervous she is.

"I wanted to talk to you," she repeats.

Killian raises an eyebrow, as though to say I'm waiting.

"We got interrupted last time, when we arrived, and we weren't done talking, I don't think," she says it in a rush, her eyes dropping down. "And I wanted to talk to you, about what happened before. As you said, we owe each other that much."

Killian's lips press together, though he doesn't answer her, like he knows that she needs to get this out.

"A lot has happened between us. Including that night, and a lot since then, and a lot of it didn't need to happen, I know that now. But I was hurt, that you'd just walk away, without an explanation, and I don't know, I guess my walls came back up rather quickly," her tone is almost hard, as she speaks, but she knows she has to get this out.

She pauses, as her hands itch with the urge to cover her face and run, but she stands tall, and her eyes are unblinking as they stare back up at his face, her eyes catching his equally soft ones. Her eyebrows furrow, when she feels pressure on her hands, and she looks down to find Killian tugging on one of hers. Her eyes flicker back up to his face, and he nods once, peering down at her softly.

That suddenly gives her the courage to continue.

"And maybe, I want to talk to you," she says quietly. "Maybe, you were right, and I do like you, and I do want to give this - us - another go. Maybe we do owe each other that much, since it was all technically a big miss understanding, and we do run in the same circles. It would be hard not to be at least civil."

Killian is still looking down at her with those soft eyes of his, but he's barely reacting, so she suddenly backtracks.

"Of course, if you just want to be friends, that's cool too. In fact-"

Emma is suddenly cut off, and she's propelled forward, until she can land into a hard chest. A hand is curling underneath her chin, and her head is tilted upwards. She catches a flash of blue eyes, before there's a pair of lips pressing softly against hers. She gasps in reply, her mouth parting slightly. Killian takes full advantage, and his tongue is pressing into the hot cave of her mouth.

She feels his arm snake around her waist, pulling her more firmly into him, and she groans into his mouth when his fingers slip under her jacket, and tank top, his cool fingers sending shivers down her spine.

Her own arms reach up to curl around his neck, and her right hand settles at the nape of his neck, her fingers tangling in his dark locks until she can tilt his head to the side, getting the angle she wants. He plunders her mouth, until she's a hot, breathy mess, and they both can't breathe any more.

Killian pulls away with a gasp, though he doesn't move far. His forehead presses against hers, and her eyes slowly flutter open. She finds his own blue eyes, wide and open, radiating his honesty, and staring at her. She feels her lips twist in response, as she calms down the beating of her heart, her chest slowly calming.

Damn, that was definitely a hell of a kiss.

"So," she sighs, as she pulls away more firmly, so that she can see him properly.

He grins in response, and she feels his fingers curving around hers, until their entwined together. She smiles slightly at that.

"Yes," he says abruptly.

Her eyebrows shoot up.

"Excuse me?"

He shakes his head, grinning down at her, and his left dimple protrudes.

"Yes, Emma Swan, I'll court you," he says, with this sense of innocence, that has her giggling.

"God," she laughs, shaking her head. "You're such a nerd."

His smile doesn't falter.

"And so old," she tells him. "Who even speaks like that?"

"Me, clearly," he says, cheekily. "And don't deny that you don't love it, Swan."

And she finds that she can't, so when he pulls her towards him, his lips meeting hers enthusiastically, she knows that she doesn't want to. And if they stay thre, pretty much all night, caught up in their own bubble, they find they don't care much.

Maybe everything isn't fixed, but she knows they'll be able to recover from this, and that, in the end, maybe everything will be.

* * *

 ** _so, there this one is. a happier ending than usual, i suppose, so i hope you all like it!_**

 ** _what did you think? love it? hate it? did you have a favourite part or a favourite line? let me know in a review, i'd love to hear back from you._**

 ** _\- shauna! xo_**


	5. The Second Night

_**so, i'm back after nearly a thousand years again. ugh, i suck. i'm sorry. excuses, excuses, but moving into university has been a bit stressful tbh, but everything has settled down now, i hope, so i'm back with a new update. possibly one of the last ones, because this story is coming to a quick close. anyways, hope you all enjoy this one.**_

 _ **\- shauna! xo**_

* * *

The two of them get far too wrapped up in each other for a while, and even though they'd agreed to start walking back about an hour ago, they really don't make it all that far. In fact, they barely move five inches from each other. They manage to get to the large rocks by the lake, and that's where they stay, for a while.

Killian has an arm wrapped around her, as he distracts her with kisses, his lips soft and pliant against hers.

She giggles against him, the sound vibrating into his mouth, when his fingers trail too softly over her ribs, and she rips herself away from him, as she catches his fingers in hers. Glaring at the mischievous look on his face, she shakes her head firmly.

"No, Killian-"

"So, you're ticklish," he grins.

She glares back, but makes no move to deny it.

"Good to know," he murmurs, as his head dips towards hers once more.

She's far too distracted by him, when his lips press back against hers, though she can feel him grinning against her own. She lets out a noise of complaint, but he's very good at this, and his lips follow a path down her neck, his lips locking onto that spot behind her ear. Emma lets out a loud groan, her back arching, as her hips tilt towards his.

"Yes," she breathes out, her chest rising and falling.

His lips curve upwards, and he sucks on her skin, and Emma has no doubt that there will be a mark there tomorrow from where he is so determinedly kissing her.

That is, until she feels his hands travelling over the span of her waist.

"Killian, I told you no-"

He's already chuckling against her skin, and it's raising goosebumps and it's a really odd combination, because she wants him as equally as much as she wants to kill him. It's not a few moments later when she's laughing too, his feather-light touch bringing her out in giggles. He keeps it up for longer than she thought he would, and there's not much she can do about it, but puff out laughter.

She eventually manages to wrestle his hands away from her, though not for long, and he's stronger than she realises.

She glares at him playfully, but he just smiles right back, and it's infuriating. That soon turns into a wrestling match, but Killian presses down with his lips, to keep her pinned to the rock, and she falls backwards slightly, but his hand is there to support her head.

"Killian," she glares.

He smirks.

"Yes, love?"

If you asked her later she'd totally deny it, but she pouted, her bottom lip jutting out and everything.

"Stop tickling me," she swear she even whined slightly.

He laughed again.

"Not a chance," he murmurs. "Do you know how long I've spent trying to figure out your weak spots. Now that I finally have them, I intend on using them to my full advantage."

His hands slide up her rib cage once more, but he doesn't tickle her, his left arm wraps around her, and he drops a kiss on her nose, grinning when she wrinkles it up in response.

"You suck," she sighs, and then immediately groans when she realises the waiting innuendo she's supplied him with.

Killian, for a change, doesn't make it, however, and when she slides up on the rock slightly so she's sitting and catches his eyes, his lips are pressed tightly together as though he's suppressing laughter. And he probably is.

Emma rolls her eyes, and nudges him with her elbow.

"Quite violent. Aren't you, Swan?"

She sniffs, but she doesn't verbally respond, until he gives her that smouldering look of his and his arm reaches up until he can stratch that spot behind his ear.

"You deserve it," she mutters, but he's still smiling.

"If that's what you wish to believe, love."

And still, she can't stop smiling as she looks up at him.

Her hands reach up around his neck, and she sighs, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Her smile only widens when he sighs himself, his eyes fluttering closed slightly at the sensation. However, his eyes fly open rather quickly, and he coughs.

"I suppose we should be getting back," he murmurs softly.

She bites her lip, and gives him her best definition of the bedroom eyes.

"You sure?"

"Swan," he groans, and his forehead falls against her shoulder.

She laughs again, shaking her head.

"If you insist."

Her expression must not have changed much because when he pulls back from her, his eyes are considerably darked and he shakes his head in mock appaul.

"Swan," he warns. "Stop that, unless you want me to throw you over my shoulder and have my way with you right here, right now."

She'd be okay with that, completely, at the way he's built her up with his kisses and light touches, but she knows the two of them deserve better than that. And she has a strong feeling that he wouldn't go for that, anyway. Being the so called gentleman he made himself out to be.

"I suppose it could wait for the first date," she allows.

He smiles, and goes in for another peck on her nose.

She refrains from wrinkling it up this time.

"I can't wait," he tells her.

She lays a single, lingering kiss on his lips, and she breathes against him, "Me too."

-/-

It's very dark when they get back to the rest of the camp (and it was dark before they'd set off but still), and the fire is almost out, but the rest of the gang aren't anywhere to be seen. The tents are all shut, so Emma assumes that they'd all decided to go to bed.

"Guess they didn't wait up for us," Emma muses, as they walk past.

Killian turns to her, and raises an eyebrow.

"Did you expect them to?"

"Honestly?" She asks.

He nods.

"Yeah," she laughs, running a hand through her hair. "David is far too protective for his own liking, and Ruby hasn't been too far off these past few days," She shrugs. "I just wouldn't have put it past them to wait up to grill us that's all."

Killian laughs in response.

"Well, when you put it like that..."

She soon joins in, shaking her head slightly.

"Maybe we wanted to give you a little privacy," a voice suddenly pipes up.

Both Emma and Killian's heads turn towards the two tents that are suspiciously a fair distance from the other, empty one, and Emma's eyes narrow.

"Ruby," she bites out, warningly, because she knows what her friend is like, when she's not threatening men.

When Ruby speaks up again, her voice almost a yell, Emma can practically hear her smiling, "Goodnight, Emma." A pause. "Killian. Don't be afraid to you know, have a really good night."

Emma flushes slightly, and she bites her lip when she catches Killian scratching that damn spot behind his ear.

"Goodnight, Ruby," she mutters.

She hears a retracting statement as she pulls Killian back towards the fire slightly, away from lingering ears.

She could swear she hears a "You're welcome," muttered out, but she chooses to ignore it.

Turning back to Killian with a ready smile, her eyebrows raise at the look on his face, and she shakes her head slightly. Her hand props against her hip in a stance that clearly says I told you so.

"See?" She asks.

He grins, but shakes his head.

"They care about you," he points out. "They're just looking out for your best interests."

Emma shrugs, "I suppose. Doesn't mean they're not annoying, sometimes."

"It's a good job they can't hear you," Killian tells her.

"I wouldn't be too sure," she murmurs. "They're probably listening to every word we say." She pauses, and then, "Do you want to go to bed?"

Killian's lips part slightly, and she blushes some, before she frantically goes to correct her statement, "Oh, god. That's not what I meant. Not at all. I mean, we are sharing a tent tonight, so you know, we will be sleeping together. Not that I don't want to sleep with you, in the other regard. You should know that-"

She's soon cut off by a pair of very soft lips moving against hers. She sighs softly, and her eyelashes flutter slightly, before he's pulling away from her, just enough so that he can speak, but not far enough that she can't still feel him breathing against her.

"Swan," he murmurs, his eyes flicking up to hers, a soft smile on his face. "Let's go to bed."

"Yeah?" She bites her lip.

"Yes."

(Killian was totally right about their friends listening to them if the talking she hears as they walk past to their tent is anything to go by.)

(And she was completely going to kill Ruby tomorrow, whether she was one of her best friend's or not.)

-/-

Emma doesn't have anywhere to run to this time. It's the first thought that runs through her head, as the two of them almost bump heads, trying to get ready. It's almost awkward to begin with, Killian shrugging and pointing to the door and asking if she'd like him to leave so she can get ready.

She barely restrains from rolling her eyes, as she strips, grinning at the way Killian Jones blushes.

She doesn't comment on it until later, however, and the two of them are laid together, his arm wrapped around her waist, as her breasts press into his side (and yes, she'd gone braless, she was going to sleep at least partially comfortable so sue her), and her eyes flicker up to his blue ones.

"Did I actually see Killian Jones blush today?" she teases.

He rolls his eyes, though she catches the brief smile on his face, as he avoids her eyes.

"It's not every day a woman literally starts stripping in front of me for no good reason," he mutters.

A beat, followed by her giggles, and he catches on.

"Not that I meant. Oh, bloody hell-" He cuts himself off, and he sighs.

Emma watches him carefully, even as she bursts out into laughter, shaking her head. It soon calms down, and her head tips to the side as she studies him.

"Do you want me to scratch your ear for you?" she grins. "You kind of look like you want to."

His head twists to her quickly, and there's a beat before she's pinned down beneath him, as his hands pin her wrists above her head in the limited room they have in the very small tent. The giggles she had soon dies down after that, as she stares up at him.

"That's enough out of you," he murmurs, even as his press into hers, keeping her beneath him.

She rolls her eyes.

"Are you sure, because-"

He cuts her off for the second time that night in the same way as his lips come down against hers, more roughly than the previous, however. His lips are almost frantic against hers, and his tongue flicks out against her upper lip until she opens up for him, and he slips into the hot cave of her mouth. His tongue curls around hers, a dance that they've already perfected tonight.

Really, she can't help the way that her legs part, and the way they find themselves clenched around his waist as she pushes up against him, riding him from below. She groans into his mouth, when he pushes right back down against her, and he's quite accurate in the way his jeans press right against her clit, despite their layers of clothing.

"Killian," she groans, and her back arches, her head resting back against the ground.

His left hand runs up the back of her shirt, his fingertips pressing softly against the skin of her spine, and she lets out a shudder in response. He groans when he feels the lack of a bra, and his hand pushes around to the front, his fingers soon curling around her breast, his thumb pressing against her nipple.

He pulls away from her mouth, slowly, pressing one last kiss, before his eyes flicker open, and he's staring down at her with those too intense, blue eyes of his, and they feel like they're burning a hole in her soul.

Eyebrows furrowing, he stares down at her, and she stares right back, wondering what the hell it is that he's looking for.

"Tell me to stop," he tells her, almost a whisper really. "Because I can't," he gasps, as his hips press intimately against her, seeking for some friction, despite his layers. "I need you too much. I can't-"

It's said almost reverently, like it's some secret, and it almost is, because she knows what he means.

Instead, she smiles, and her hand curls over his cheek, her fingers caressing his face lightly, before it travels around to the back of his neck, her fingers pressing down on his head, until he presses his lips to hers softly once more.

"Never," she swears against him.

Because anyway, when did they ever do something the right way? They were them, and she wouldn't take him any other way.

She liked him like this, anyway. Hard and waiting for her, so she smiles against his lips, as his teeth nibble against her bottom lip in response.

Their clothes are shed quickly, his dark henley being the first to go, followed by her bed shirt, and Killian is momentarily distracted by the sight of her breasts, perky and begging for his attention. She shakes her head at him, muttering a "Men, all the same," under her breath, before he goes back for her lips, and her bottoms are soon got rid of too, followed by his.

And really, she shouldn't be surprised that he goes commando, because it just seems like such a Killian Jones thing to do.

There isn't much foreplay and honestly, she's glad. She's not sure how much she can handle right now.

(She just needs him.)

In a move that Killian has already decided he wants to see again later, she flips the two of them over so that she's straddling him, her thighs hugging his hips, as his hand immediately settle on her waist to steady her.

His eyes bore up into hers, and she stares right back as she directs him to her entrance, and she sinks down with a moan that is possible too loud considering that the other two tents aren't that far away...

She pauses for a moment, as she breathes heavily, looking down at him from beneath hooded eyes. She's pleased to note that he seems to be breathing just as heavy, his eyes dark with lust, and his fingernails dig into her skin, as he waits for her to move.

(Always waiting. For her.)

She doesn't want to wait much longer, and her hips start rising and falling against him. Killian's hips are just as enthusiastic, as he aims to meet her, when she pulls away from him, only to sink back down a moment later. Between the two of them, they manage to get a rhythm they both enjoy, and Killian shifts up slightly, so he can wrap one arm around her waist, to push her more firmly onto him and he can help her movements.

She groans, her back bowing and her head tilts backwards, her long blonde hair tickling his thighs.

His thrusts soon become more powerful, his hands rougher as he pulls her against him, her own hips grinding against him, and her fingers curl around the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling on the dark strands as she all but begs him to go harder, rougher, and her head burries itself in his neck, her lips finding his skin, as she sucks at his skin.

He wasn't the only one determined to leave a mark.

"Yes," she moans, on a particularly hard thrust. "God, Killian-" she chokes out.

She feels his smile, as his forehead drops to her shoulder, his own groans coming out against her skin.

"Christ, sweetheart," he mutters. "You feel good."

(Yeah, they were definitely good together.)

She hums in response, and she tilts her hips slightly, and groans when he hits that spot, that's just right. Killian's hand soon wriggles between their closely joined bodies, and his thumb presses against her, tracing rough circles against her clit, and she soon shatters, calling out his name.

Her hands move up, one curving around her breast, when she shatters around him, and the other tangling in her hair, as she clenches around his cock.

He feels it if the noises he lets out are anything to go by.

"That's it," he murmurs, his movements slowing slightly as he allows her to come down from her high.

She's on her back a moment later, and his movements have almost stopped as he peers down at her, his tongue pressing against cheek. When she comes back too, she blinks up at him, and he grins down at her.

"You look rather marvellous when you come for me, Swan," he tells her, his voice ragged and breathless. "I think I'd like to see it again."

She doesn't have any protests, at all, and he pulls out so slowly, before thrusting back in quickly, and her breath catches in her throat.

Her hands reach for him, one reaching for his bare back, her fingernails raking against his skin and probably leaving red marks in their wake.

"Together," she rasps out, as her other hand clenches the tent floor beneath her. "Come with me this time."

He's nodding enthusiastically, and she knows his close. Definitely so, when his eyes close, followed by a hiss when her own hand reaches between them, rubbing over her clit quickly, and she knows it won't be long before she comes apart for him. Again.

He falls before her this time, his back bowing as he stiffens, but she's right there after him, her breasts pressing into his chest, as she chases her high, hips moving frantically. She soon falls back against the floor with a sigh, and Killian follows her, his weight pressing into her, but she doesn't mind. It's almost nice, the feeling of him, pressing so deliciously against her.

It only feels like seconds later, when she blinks up, her breathing returning to normal, only to find Killian moving off of her, and she twists to the side slightly to find him staring at her expectantly, as though waiting for her to bolt because she knows that look. She's worn it many times before.

She softens on the spot, and her hand reaches for his cheek, her fingers curling around his face, her thumb pressing into the dent in his chin.

"I'm not going anywhere," she promises softly.

His smile is just as soft as his voice.

"I know," he murmurs, and then, "About that date..."

She rolls her eyes, turning on her side fully, as her leg works it way up his hip, until his fingers curl around her thigh.

"Sex not enough for you?" She teases.

He blinks, and his expression is one of the most serious she's ever seen him.

"No. Not with you."

She's not sure how ready she is for that so she shakes her head, looking up at him.

"What about that date?"

He grins, "Does tomorrow work for you?"

"Tomorrow?" She asks. "What did you have planned?"

He leans forward with a wink.

"I guess you'll have to wait and see," he murmurs, right before his lips press softly against hers for a brief kiss, before his forehead presses to hers. "And if you're lucky, I suppose..."

He trails off, but she rolls her eyes, and snorts, gesturing down to their bodies.

"Really? Your gonna tell me you're the type to withhold sex on the first date? Come on, Jones," she huffs, and her eyes roll once more.

He grins.

"Well I suppose I could make an exception. Just for you, Swan," he peers up at her from beneath his lashes, and she laughs.

"An exception, huh?" she asks, her nose nudging his.

His eyes brighten up before they flicker down to her lips.

"You are a great many exceptions, love," he declares, right before he kisses her.

(She supposes talking could wait while the morning.)

* * *

 ** _anyways, there that one is! whew, felt like it took forever to get to this stage but it's finally there._**

 ** _just one more chapter to come, and finally it will be their first date. possibility of an epilogue at some point, but not sure how long it will take me to get to it, so don't get your hopes up!_**

 ** _anyways, let me know what you thought in a review. i'd love to hear from you._**

 ** _\- shauna! xo_**


	6. The Next Morning

_**here it is, one of the final chapter(s). hint: there could be an epilogue at some point, but i'm a bit busy with university right now. anyway, this story has taken me on a big journey and i'd like to think my writing has massively improved since the first chapter, and it's a bit sad but i'm so happy to finally have it finished.**_

 _ **there is sort of some smut - i mean there is, but it's not all that much? i've certainly written smuttier. just a warning in case that isn't your thing. labelling this as NSFW, just in case.**_

 _ **anyways, i hope you all enjoy!**_

 _ **\- shauna! xo**_

* * *

Emma almost feels out of place when she wakes the next morning, because there's something under her that feels far too comfortable for it to be the floor of the tent and honestly, sue her, because she's always like this when she wakes up, but it takes her a few minutes to realise it's Killian and that the rising up and down is him breathing.

She blinks lazily, as she wills herself to come around, and she hears a low chuckle, followed by a tug of her hair.

Her lips press together, as she buries herself further into Killian's naked chest, his very warm chest, mind you, and honestly it really isn't normal for a person to be this hot when it's so cold outside.

She knows he's grinning, even as her eyes flutter shut once more, her lips pressing briefly to his chest, before he chuckles again.

"Shut up," she grumbles.

He laughs again, his whole body shaking with it.

"Anybody ever tell you that you're rather irritable in the morning?" he murmurs, his voice thick with sleep, and dear lord, he will be her undoing.

"No one's a morning person, Jones," she mutters, even as she refuses to look up, her eyes screwing shut. "Other than you, it seems."

"Raised in the Navy, darling," he responds.

She rolls her eyes and event that takes too much effort.

Clumsily, her hands reach above her, until she can press one sloppily over his lips.

"Shush," she mutters, still half asleep. "It's way too early."

She feels his lips twist up against her hand, before his own hand covers hers and she feels his fingers wrap around hers. He brings their joint hands to her neck, his arm wrapping more firmly around her.

"Actually, my little slugabed, you'll find that the sun is up and shining."

Emma grumbles unintelligibly.

"Doesn't say much," she mutters.

He grins again, and she wants to shoot him.

"Nobody should be this much of a morning person," she mutters.

"Perhaps you just inspire me, Swan."

Her head snaps up, finally, her eyes narrowing into a glare.

"Really?" She's unimpressed as her eyes gleam up at him.

His hand travels under the sleeping bag, pressing against the bottom of her spine, and his fingers briefly squeeze her ass in his palm, before he just lets it rest there. Emma almost groans at the heat stirring low in her belly.

But his eyes are blue, so blue, and he looks happy as he peers down at her that she can't help the little smile that she gives him back.

"I'm sure Ruby will be up soon enough," he tells her, and she notices the warning in his voice, letting out a groan of her own because she gets him.

Do they really want Ruby (and more than likely the rest of their friends) to catch the two of them pressed against each other, naked? No. Probably not.

She sighs, loudly, and shakes her head.

"Fine, I concede your point," she sniffs.

"Besides," Killian continues, "We do have plans for today. Do we not?"

She smiles, "Right."

His head tips to the side, as her hand reaches up to curve around his neck, her thumb rubbing against his cheek softly. His lips press together, though his eyes are as soft as ever as he watches her carefully.

"We don't have to go tonight," he murmurs. "We can go another time, if you'd like. We can just hang out with our friends."

It goes unsaid but she knows he means that they don't have to tell Ruby and everyone about them, if she doesn't want to. Once again, he's leaving the choice up to her, and she feels her stomach fluttering in response.

She arches her neck, as she finds his lips, pressing her own softly against his. She feels him relax against her, his arm covering her back, and she pushes him onto his back softly, following him down, as her legs straddle him, her lips never leaving his.

He lets out a small groan against her, when he comes into contact with the heat of her, and she could let him throw her down and have his way with her again, let the two of them laugh off a sweet moment.

But she doesn't want to. Not with him.

So she peels herself away from him, and she almost lets out a groan of her own, at the feeling of his erection pressing so deliciously against her, her back straightening as she hovers over him. His eyes flicker open, at the loss of her, a slight frown on his face.

"I wouldn't like," she says firmly. "I don't want to hide. Not from anyone, and I want to go on a date. With you."

His smile is blinding, and she grins back, before his hand pushes against her back, his fingers coming up to curl around her neck, and pulling her back down towards him.

"As long as that is settled," he murmurs, his breath fanning against her lips, "I'm sure we have a few quiet moments before everybody wakes."

His lips press against hers, as the sleeping bag is pushed off her shoulders and she fights a shiver, as he pushes himself up on his elbows, until his torso presses against hers. His lips become more frantic, his teeth biting in to her bottom lip, and she opens up immediately, his tongue pushing against hers.

She groans, when his hips shift beneath her, meeting hers enthusiastically, and she's reached down, her fingers curling around his cock when they both hear the noise of a zip.

"Jones, Emma," they hear in a sing-song voice, "You have ten minutes to make yourselves decent before I come storming in."

Killian's eyes are wide, as she pulls away from him, though her head is still around his cock, and his skin is flushed.

"She won't," he pleads, rocking up into her touch ever so slightly. "Have mercy, Swan."

Ruby snorts from the outside of the tent, and Emma knows she's far too close. Really, they should know better.

"Won't I?" And Emma just knows she's grinning, and then, "I'll be kind, you know. I'll even give you thirty minutes to sort your little problem out. Oh, and Emma? Not a moment more. I do want details."

Honestly, she could kill Ruby sometimes.

As they hear the sound of footsteps walking away, Killian's lips are back on hers, and she lets the thoughts drift away as Killian puts her on her back, his salacious smile in her vision, as he trails his lips across her breasts, and down her torso, before he kneels between her thighs.

His too blue eyes flicker up to hers, as he bites his lip, and his grin is far too smug for her liking.

"You should probably hold on to something, love," he tells her, before he ducks down.

And Emma's quite sure that the rest of their friends can hear how she moans his name, but she can't say she minds, not when Killian's tongue is on her clit, and her hands fist into his dark locks.

(It's nothing they hadn't done to her before, many many times.)

-/-

They don't make it out in thirty minutes, but Ruby doesn't come barging back in (thankfully). Though the two of them are greeted by knowing, smug smiles as they walk out, followed by widened eyes and raised eyebrows as she entwines her fingers with Killian's.

Emma snorts, rolling her eyes, as they sit down on one of the rocks.

"Get over it," she grumbles.

Ruby's eyes are full of excitement as they gleam over at her.

"Still not a morning person, Ems? And here I thought Killian would have managed to work that out of you this morning," she winks.

Emma glares.

"You have no tact."

Ruby shrugs, "I have never denied that, and besides, Victor likes that about me."

"I'm sure he does," Emma mutters beneath her breath.

Ruby raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment, and she feels Killian squeeze her hand tightly. Her head twists towards him to find him smiling down at her softly, almost encouraging, and she can't help the little twist of her lips.

She hears a cough somewhere in the background and she knows it's David.

Rolling her eyes, she twists to face him, though his face is unreadable and he's staring directly at Killian, making Emma wince inwardly. Maybe she and David should talk first.

"Yes?" she pipes up, causing his eyes to flicker across to hers, before moving back to Mary Margaret's

"How about we all go get breakfast?" At Ruby's pointed cough, he adds, "Or brunch."

Emma rolls her eyes.

"Mature," she accuses.

Ruby merely grins, her tongue pressing against her teeth.

It's Killian who speaks up next, "Actually the lady Swan and I have plans today." He pauses, "How about we meet up for tea later?"

It takes Emma a few moments to realise that he means dinner, and her fingers tighten against his, as she wonders what he has planned.

Ruby looks curious, but she doesn't push, and David looks as though he wants to say something, but Emma watches as Mary Margaret catches his attention once more and he obviously decides against it.

"Sound good," Mary Margaret says, "Shall we meet back up at say 6? We could go to that place you were raving about Victor," she suggests.

Victor nods, "I'll call up my buddy, reserve a table for tonight."

Ruby's eyes fly across to hers, and Mary Margaret stands, along with every one else shortly after.

"Come on then, Ems," Ruby tells her. "Let's get ready."

Emma hesitates for a beat, at the way David is staring at Killian like he's just punched him in the face but she coughs in the end, nodding.

"Sure."

She turns back to Killian, a small smile on her face.

"I'll see you in a few?" she asks quietly.

"No rush, love," he tells her in a just as quiet murmur. "You're okay for another hour."

Her eyes look pointedly over to David whose been staring at them, before back to him.

"I'll be quick," she promises.

He grins, and his hand squeezes hers once more.

"I find myself awaiting your return."

She snorts, shaking her head.

"You're such a dork," she tells him, but she kisses him anyway, a brief peck to his lips, before she saunters off, feeling his eyes on her back the entire way there.

(Maybe she should give them time to talk.)

(It's not like David would do anything. Not now. She knows that he values his friendship with Killian, even if he wouldn't admit it.)

-/-

Killian watches her walk away from him, and he presses his lips together to stop them from twitching at the way her hips sway (purposefully, he's certain). His hands fold together, too, as though he has to stop himself from following her. It seems now he's had her, he doesn't want to let her out of his sight. He's only human.

He hears a cough, and his head snaps up to find David staring down at him.

"Perhaps we should go for a walk, hm?"

He gulps at that, his eyebrows furrowing, and he suddenly feels like he's back in high school and meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time.

"Of course," he grits his teeth.

They don't go far, barely a few minutes, but just far enough that David knows they won't be disturbed.

"So, you and Emma," Dave says, though Killian hears the question there.

"Dave-"

But, David cuts him off almost immediately.

"This isn't me grilling you," he says, and Killian raises his eyebrows in mock surprise, his lips pursing, and Dave sighs. "Okay, maybe it is. Don't tell Mary Margaret, she's already warned me against talking to you. Emma can take care of herself"- Killian snorts at the way his voice goes up a pitch and he imagines that's his friend's impression of his girlfriend, "But can you blame me?"

Not really.

Killian doesn't know the specifics of what Emma has been through, but he knows enough. He knows she's been through enough to hide behind those mile-high walls of hers, and he doesn't blame her. Not one bit. He also knows that she and David are something of a family, that David's mother had practically taken her in and taken care of her as her own, and that Emma was grateful, and as a result, David had become something of an older brother.

Killian knows that his own reputation can't help either.

"No," Killian sighs, his hand scratching behind his ear. "I can't. Not at all."

"And it's not that I don't trust you," Dave continues. "Because we've become something of friends now, I'll admit that. Emma, just, she's been through so much, and all I want is for her to be happy."

"And that's exactly what I want," Killian says firmly, "I always have."

David's eyes seem to soften slightly.

"I believe you. Just- go easy on her, okay?" At Killian's puzzled look, he continues "Just. I know she can be frustrating, believe me, I know. With all those walls of hers, but she's trying. Even I can see that, and a month ago, she wouldn't have come out like she did this morning."

Killian knows that too, and he nods.

"I know," he sighs. "I've got nothing but time," he says in response to the question.

Dave smiles, the most genuine one Killian's seen since the conversation began and he nods.

"Good," and then, "Don't tell Mary Margaret I pulled you aside." A beat. "Or Emma. I don't know which will be worse."

Killian laughs at that too, because he can visualise Emma's speech of I can take care of myself, David, and he finds himself nodding.

"Of course."

He slaps Killian on the back, with a big grin.

"Now, tell me. Where are you taking my sister?"

He used to find it strange when David called Emma his sister, in the beginning, but the more time he's spent around him, the more he knows that's true. After all, family is far more than blood.

Killian grins back, "Well..."

-/-

When he and David get back, the girls are still nowhere in sight though he can hear Ruby's giggles and he roles his eyes, as Victor sits down at the bonfire from the night before.

"Called Ryan. Said there'll be a table ready for us at 6:30 tonight," Victor tells them.

David nods, "That's good."

Honestly, Killian is just itching to get off, and he's sure it's nearly been an hour, and he's almost ready to go into his (their) tent to find out how much longer his Swan will be, when Mary Margaret steps out, smiling kindly at him.

"She'll be out in a minute," she tells him. "She and Ruby are just currently having a difference of opinion."

He raises an eyebrow, but doesn't ask, as Ruby walks out a moment later, her head held high as she sniffs. Killian merely rolls his eyes at her dramatics. He's long since stopped taking Ruby too seriously. Honestly, he's not sure how Victor manages.

He hears fumbling about, as he stands up and walks towards the tent.

"Swan?"

She doesn't answer, but she appears a moment later, zipping up the tent behind her.

She's simply beautiful, he knows that, but she's stunning.

She's wearing a simple lace top that he's almost certain isn't hers, emphasising her cleavage generously, with a leather jacket, and a few simple necklaces, paired with her usual skinny jeans, and a long pair of black boots. The thing what stands out to him is her eyes, and how they're shining. He can't help but smile back, and how can't he think she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen?

"You look beautiful," he professes when he gains his breath.

He's sure she's blushing, as her hands smooth down her clothes, dodging his eyes, before her head snaps up to meet them once more and a beautiful mix of green meets his.

"Thanks," she murmurs.

He grins, as he takes a step towards her, and holds out an arm for her to take.

"Shall we?" he requests.

She doesn't roll her eyes like he expected, whenever he says something like that, and he's sure there is an insult on her tongue, but she bites it back, her arm curving around his, and her bright eyes meeting his. He's almost positive it's the happiest he's seen her.

"Anywhere with you."

(Yeah it's sappy, she knows that, but she supposes he brings it out of her.)

"Your carriage awaits," he grins.

(That time she can't restrain an eyeroll.)


End file.
